


The Shadows are Just Reflections

by Ambivalence_Forevermore



Series: Enexion and Avengers [1]
Category: MCU, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: And Gets One, Aunt May is Badass, Civil War Team Iron Man, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I can't tag for the life of me, Iron Heart, M/M, Natasha Is a Good Bro, New Avengers, Not A Fix-It, Not Cap Friendly, Pepper Potts is done with Steve's Bullshit, Peter is not impressed with Steve Rogers, Post-Civil War (Marvel), Protective Avengers, Protective Peter Parker, Rhodes is the best, Team as Family, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Wanda Maximoff Needs a Hug, Well - Freeform, and gets many, maybe for some characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-14
Updated: 2019-06-12
Packaged: 2019-11-17 23:47:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 58,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18108986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ambivalence_Forevermore/pseuds/Ambivalence_Forevermore
Summary: Three days after breaking everyone off of the raft, Natasha leaves the rouge's to face the consequences of her actions back in the states. A day after, Scott Lang takes a plea deal. With Bucky in cryo and the team hiding in Wakanda, Steve has nothing to do but wait for Tony to call, but Tony never does.After being rescued from Siberia by an unknown entity, Tony is forced to rebuild his ribs and sternum along with everything else in his life, including the Avengers. Enter a wizard, a spider-man, two young engineers with a lot of promise in the field of a future iron hero, lots of supporting friends who will happily sink their teeth into the rouges, and a strange new friend who's just gonna be along for the ride. Everything might just turn out all rightFast forward five months. The rouges are all pardoned under the condition that they fight with the Avengers. Shit just got a whole lot more complicated.I know the format is shit for the first few chapters, but it won't let me change it. I'm currently working on it!





	1. Dispersion: Collateral

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys!  
> This is my first Avengers fic, and I am strictly TEAM IRON MAN! for the whole Civil War situation. The thing is I also feel like people have been really harsh on Wanda and turned her into a whining five-year-old with no sense of morals which I think is just out of character. That being said, this fic is still strictly anti-team Cap, there will be consequences for what happened, and what she did to Vision. 
> 
> ALSO: I have not decided what ship I want in this story, so I will take suggestions!
> 
> As a social experiment, I am leaving the comments unmonitored just to see how many trolls will ignore the TEAM IRONMAN warning and post flames anyway. I'll most likely monitor them after a chapter or two depending on how much hate is thrown around.

Part One: Dispersion 

 

 

Natasha had left first.  
After Steve had gotten Bucky out of the Siberian Hydra bunker and escaped to Wakanda, his first thought was of his team. He had contacted Natasha to tell her to meet him at the border and explained what the situation was with the raft. She had seemed surprisingly reluctant to go along with him, but upon hearing about Clint’s imprisonment she agreed to help, if only for the sake of his children The breaking in was surprisingly easy, and it took a minimal amount of hacking to make the cameras go dark for a long enough time period. The sight of them all trapped in their cells was not something that Steve would soon forget. Wanda’s jacket and color were the worst. Her expression was one of blank acceptance as she stared emotionlessly at the cement wall in front of her. He made quick work of getting her out first.  
He would have very much liked to have stayed and destroyed the raft so that it could never be used to hold his teammates again, but Natasha advised against it. They were already criminals, she had said. They didn’t need any more charges brought against them. T’Challa had been kind enough to let Steve and his team stay hidden in Wakanda while Bucky was in cryo sleep and they made plans as to where they would go. Their rooms weren't glamorous and they had to stay out of sight at all times, but they were thankful all the same. Wakanda was a very beautiful place and the team seemed at peace for the first time in years. That only lasted three days.  
“Where are you going?” Steve asked, watching Natasha shove her gear and personal items into a duffle bag. Her hair, which was now bleached blonde and cut short was tucked underneath a baseball cap and she was wearing clothing that practically screamed tourist.  
“Home,” she replied easily. She headed towards the door, but Steve stepped in front of her.  
“What do you mean ‘home’? You said it yourself, they’re calling us criminals! We can’t go back until this all blows over. I know this is hard, but we within a few months they’ll be begging us to come back,” he assured her. She just stared up at him coldly, her calculating glare making him cringe away.  
“They’re calling us criminals because we are, and I highly doubt that we’ll be asked back any time soon.”  
At Steve’s confused expression, her face softened slightly.  
“Steve, I always agreed with the accords. I was never on your side for that part of the fight,” she said gently. “I only helped you because I thought that it would stop people from getting hurt. Clearly, I was wrong,” she explained.  
“So you’re turning yourself in?” Steve asked, things slowly piecing themselves together in his mind. Natasha nodded and gave him a sad smile. “We’re not above the law, Steve. We’re just people, and People have to pay for their mistakes.” With that, she stepped back, and Steve stepped to the side and let her leave. He watched her until she was just a small spec in the distance and kept on staring at the landscape even after she was long gone. He had always thought of Natasha as his friend. Then again, he’d thought the same thing of Tony and look where that had gotten him. He stayed there until Sam came in and told him it was time for lunch. 

Scott left not long after Natasha, but he didn’t bother explaining anything to Steve. He didn’t have to. The government had announced that any of the ‘rouge avengers’ as they were now being called could take plea deals to lessen their punishments. A few hours later T’Challa opened up a channel for Scott to contact Maggie and Cassie with. He was gone the next day.  
They watched on the small TV they’d been provided as the news reported his return to the states, and Natasha’s return the day after. Scott was given a sentence of three years on house arrest, a sentence which was considerably lighter than it would have been given that he handed the suit over to Pym technologies with no argument and had no involvement with anything except the airport. The house arrest wasn’t going to be too problematic for him as he could still help his con friends start up their business from home, but Steve still felt a little bad for the guy. Looking back, dragging in Scott was a little much.  
Natasha’s sentence was quite different. Upon returning to the United States she had immediately been detained and brought before the accords council to decide her sentence. She had testified that she had helped Steve and Bucky escape to try and prevent any further damage to the airport because of their fight, and had denied knowing anything about the raft break-in. She hadn’t left enough of a digital footprint for anyone to prove that it had been her that had hacked the raft, and Scott backed her up, saying that she was long gone by the time Steve came to break them out.  
Steve felt a stab of annoyance at the lie. The way that she was willing to throw all the blame on him and make herself seem like she was trying to protect people from him in the airport when she’d helped them get away.  
The council seemed to find her story believable, the lawyers that were provided to her doing a good job of making her version of events seem like the truth. Eventually, they came to an agreement that left a sour taste in Steve’s mouth. She was pardoned of all crimes related to the ‘Civil War’ so long as she agreed to join the New Avengers, and agreed to stay within the states for three years, excluding Hawaii and Alaska. She agreed to all the turns with no complaint and released a statement expressing how grateful she was for the councils understanding, and for the second chance, she was being given. The Avengers Initiative released a corresponding statement expressing how excited they were to work with Ms. Romanoff and how happy they were to have her back on the Avengers roster. The statement was clearly written by the PR team and was announced by a representative of the council. Usually, it was Tony why went out and made Avengers related announcements. Steve wasn’t entirely surprised given that no one had seen Tony since the fight. Stark Industries and the Avengers Initiative had both confirmed that he was alive, but he had made no public appearances.  
Steve and his team had been worried about Tony’s lack of public appearances. At first, they thought that he was doing it on purpose so that he could make a big reveal to play the victim and make them look bad, but after a week of nothing, they were beginning to worry. Wanda had brought it up multiple times with Steve which he found quite surprising. From what he had gathered Wanda had never really liked Tony, but it seemed that she still had it in her to care about her old teammate even after what he’d done. Steve felt a flash of pride at the maturity she was showing. Sam had been scanning the news to try and see if he could find anything about Stark’s whereabouts, but he had no luck. Clint was coming up with nothing either, and T’Challa refused to tell them anything. He had, however, provided Steve with a burn phone, saying that someone who Steve would want to talk to had the other. Thinking it was Tony, Steve had called immediately. He was only slightly disappointed when it wasn’t.  
“Captain,” the voice of Sharon Rogers greeted.  
“Neighbor,” he responded. Ever since their run in at the S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters, it had become a thing of theirs. At least one thing remained the same.  
“I’m guessing you want news,” she said.  
“Yeah, where are you? Are you safe?” Steve asked.  
“Yeah, I’m fine. I won’t be for long, though. The CIA isn’t happy that I gave you that intel.”  
“It was the right thing to do,” Steve assured her.  
“I know,” she replied. “Anyway, onto the real news. You’ll be happy to know that Stark isn’t dead,” she said, pausing to let Steve sigh in relief. He knew that he hadn’t killed Tony, but he had been worried given how no one had seen the man since Siberia.  
“I wouldn’t be so relieved yet,” she warned, making Steve tense up again. “Steve, it’s not good. You did quite a number on him in Siberia. I’m not blaming you, I’m sure you did what you had to do, but the rest of the world probably won’t see it that way.”  
“Why? What’s wrong with him? “Steve asked, mouth dry. Sharon took a deep breath before continuing, and Steve felt his heart tighten in his chest.  
“His right lung collapsed, and his ribcage was so bad that they didn’t think he was going to pull through. He had to have a new ribcage and sternum created, and from what I found, it was out of the vibranium from your shield.” Steve took a steadying breath and pushed down the anger he felt at the mention of his shield being turned into something else.  
“His rib cage collapsed?” Steve asked stiffly, the image of Tony’s terrified eyes when he smashed the shield down dancing across his mind.  
“And his sternum,” Sharon corrected,  
“He was also suffering from hypothermia by the time he was found… no one knows how he was saved yet though, it’s all under wraps. I tried to get what I could but my hacking skills can only best so many things, and Friday one of them.”  
“It’s okay Sharon, you did more than you had to,” Steve assured her, hoping that she could hear his smile from across the line. It seemed she had because her voice was gentler when she spoke next.  
“There’s another thing, It seems that the Avengers Initiative isn’t as hurt as we thought it would be. They aren’t exactly crying over your losses. I’m not sure if you’ve been following the council meetings, but Tony’s representatives have mentioned multiple times that he has an interest in recruiting more members.” Steve shut his eyes and sighed wistfully, running a hand through his hair. He knew that this would probably happen, he had taken the majority of the team with him after all. He just hadn’t expected it to happen so fast.  
“I’m sure that it won’t be as bad as we think, he’ll calm down soon enough and realize that the original team is still his family.” Sharon hummed uncommittedly but didn’t press the matter any further.  
“Well, I’m going to have to cut this a little short,” Sharon said. “My trains about to leave and the reception is terrible. I’ll send you a message once I’m safe. If you don’t get anything then you’ll know I’ve been caught, and that the phone has been destroyed.”  
“Alright. Safe travels,” he replied. The line went dead. 

 

Wanda stared absently out the window of her room, her fingers surrounded by swirling scarlet as she thought about the past two weeks. She could hear Steve talking to whom he referred to as ‘Sharon’ in the other room and felt her unease rise as she listened to the snippets of conversation she could hear. When she heard Steve say something about a collapsed rib cage, she felt her power flare up around her, a surge of protectiveness for whomever they were discussing rising within her. A small voice in the back of her mind told her that she knew full well who they were discussing, and she was finding it harder and harder to ignore that voice. Never in her wildest dreams did she think that she’d be feeling bad for Tony Stark, yet here she was. Many people had questioned whether or not she had wanted to kill Tony during the civil war given her past with him. Steve had tried to hide those reports from her, but she’d seen them. Yes, she conceded, she had hated him in the past. Had wanted him dead even, but that was just that. The past. What many people liked to forget was that Wanda Maximoff had seen her fair share of death. From fellow citizens to her parents to Pietro, to Rhodey’s ability to walk, she’d seen death. She had no desire to see any more.  
She never tried to force herself to forgive Start for what his weapons had done. She was willing to work with him and thought that she would just avoid him at other times. She wouldn't try to forgive him. In the end, it turned out she didn’t have to. She found that one day when she woke up in the room that he had provided for her and looked at the guitar that he had given her as a gift to try as a coping mechanism, that she had already forgiven him. She wasn’t sure when, but it had happened. It wasn’t because of the money he spent on her or the gadgets he made for her, but his willingness to do so. Not the fact that he had valid excuses as to why her hatred was misplaced, but the fact that he never used them and just let her use him as an outlet to pour her hatred out on. It had been Vision who had explained to her that Stark Industries had stopped making weapons, and about what had happened in Afghanistan. About how Tony had taken responsibility for what had happened because of his weapons and shut down their production.  
Perhaps it was out of pride that she had continued to keep her distance. Secretly though, she hoped that he realized that she had forgiven him. That she was willing to be not just acquaintances, but friends. She had thought that she was making ground on that when she found out that he had put her on house arrest. That he still didn’t trust her. It stung when Vision had told her. When she realized that they would always be afraid. Perhaps that was why when Clint showed up to take her out of the tower, she had agreed. Maybe that’s why she had left her room, guitar, and chance of a fresh start behind her in order to cause more damage than she already had.  
Usually, when she felt pain, it was from what someone else had done. What Ultron had done to Pietro, what Stark had done to her family and friends, what the war had done to her life and those of other Sacovians. This hurt was different though. This hurt was because of none other than herself. This hurt was her own, and there was something purifying about realizing that, Wanda mused. With that thought in mind, for the first time since arriving in Wakanda, she looked out the window and saw peace. 

 

Peter Parker had seen blood. He’d seen it on his uncle when he had been murdered. He’d seen it on himself many times, and he’d seen it on mugging victims that he’d been just a few seconds too late to save. Peter Parker had seen blood, but by no means did that mean he was used to it.  
He knew that he didn’t know Tony Stark well, but the sight of all the blood on him when he was returned from Siberia was almost too much to bare. Peter and Vision were both being kept in the lab until everything blew over, but Pepper had come and gotten them once Tony was confirmed to be en route to the hospital. She had been prepared to send Peter home and not let him in, but Vision had argued on his behalf, and so Pepper had relented. Peter didn’t blame her for not trusting him to be around Tony. After the betrayal of Captain America and the other Avengers, he understood why she would be suspicious of a random kid with powers.  
They arrived at the hospital at the same time as Tony. He was rushed straight to surgery, but Peter caught a glimpse of him as he was rolled past. That one glimpse was enough to make him feel bile rising in his throat. Tony was out of the suit and lying unmoving on a stretcher, his face covered in cuts and bruises and his fingers and nose tinted black from frostbite. That wasn’t the worst part though. The worst part was the blood seeping through his shirt and covering his chest in a crimson blanket. It was so thick that it looked almost black, and was still darkening indicating to Peter that the bleeding hadn’t stopped.  
Peter’s enhanced hearing had picked up phrases such as ‘internal bleeding’, ‘new rib cage’, and ‘minimal chance of survival’. Vision had looked just as afraid as Peter felt, and he wished that he new a way to comfort the android. They ended up sitting there all night, Pepper calling Aunt May and coming up with a believable excuse as to where Peter was. With all that was going on it wasn’t too hard to pretend that all hands were needed on deck.  
Peter wasn’t sure how long they waited for news, but he knew that when the doctor came out, he looked exhausted. They must have been there all night. He didn’t hear much of the medical details, only that Tony Stark would survive. Had he been stuck in the bunker for eve ten more minutes that probably wouldn’t have been the case, but whoever it was the had saved him had gotten there right on time.  
Peter assumed that it had been Vision or FRIDAY that had saved Tony, but looking back he realized that that was impossible. Vision had been with him in the lab, and the Iron Legion had been there as well, so there was nothing that FRIDAY could have piloted to Siberia. He had asked Pepper about who had saved Tony, but she said that as of the moment, it wasn’t something she was at liberty to reveal. Peter didn’t much care once Tony woke up. He was more concerned with the fact that Tony currently had a temporary fake rib cage and sternum, and would need to have another surgery once he finished making the permanent one out of Captain America’s shield.  
He barely saw Tony when he was working with the vibranium, and was sent away before the second Surgery with an updated suit and a promise to call once Tony had gotten out of the hospital again. Peter hadn’t been happy about having to leave, but he could tell that there wouldn’t be any arguing with Tony, and so he did as he was told. Happy drove him back to his apartment building in silence, and he quickly hid the suit in his room before going out for Thai with Aunt May. She asked him about the internship, and he gave his perfectly rehearsed answers and explanations. She seemed satisfied with his lies and kept saying how proud she was of him. Peter felt shame well up inside of him at the realization that there entire evening was based entirely on his deceit, but pushed the feeling down until he was back in his room.  
Peter didn’t sleep that night, instead sitting curled behind his bed and staring vacantly at the shadows around him. He felt cut off as he waited for his phone to ring with news from Happy or even Mr. Stark himself, but no news came that night, or the night after. It wasn’t for another three days that he heard anything. It was a quick text from Happy telling him that Tony was awake and that the vibranium was working well. Peter practically sobbed in relief. That day also brought the news of Antman and Black Widow’s return to the United States, and the accords council agreeing to allow Scott off the hook and Natasha her Avengers membership back. Peter felt a little left over rage at the mention of both ‘heros’. Why should Natasha be let back after betraying Tony in the airport? He could see her point about preventing any more collateral damage, but he had been there. There would have been damage either way and she knew it. Hell, Rhodey had been hurt after her decision anyway. He didn’t have much of an opinion on Scott. The man had clearly been way out of his depth, and Peter pitied his daughter. He knew what it was like to lose a parent, so he was glad that Scott had been let back into the states so he could see her.  
He was mulling these thoughts over when his phone rang with an unknown number. He looked at the phone suspiciously before picking up on the third ring.  
“Hello?” he asked.  
“Kid, for a second I thought you were gonna leave me hanging,” a familiar voice said.  
“Mr. Stark! I-um- sorry, I didn’t know who you were! I mean I know who you are, obviously, you’re Iron man, but I mean the number didn’t come up on my screen-”  
“Kid, you’re rambling.” Peter closed his mouth and mentally kicked himself.  
“Sorry, Mr. Stark.”  
“Yeah, I’m guessing Happy told you the surgery went well, so whoop-de-doo for that,” he began, “but that’s not why I’m calling. As you probably saw, Black Widow and the Ant-Man are back, and both signed the accords.”  
“Yeah, it was all over the news,” Peter said, not quite following.  
“Yeah, which has brought up a few questions about the other unknown, enhanced individual at the airport.” Peter gulped.  
“O-oh yeah, that would be me wouldn’t it,” he said nervously.  
“Now I’ve talked to the council, and they’ve agreed to let you keep your identity a secret. They just need you to come in and answer a few questions for them and then sign some papers saying that you agree to follow the accords.  
“Will they see my face when I’m answering questions?” Peter asked.  
“No, they’ve agreed to let you wear your mask. Scott and Natasha backed me up on that one.”  
“If I sign, does that make me an Avenger?” Peter asked hopefully.  
“Junior Avenger,” Tony said with an amused sigh. “Once you’re eighteen, then you’ll be fully recruited. You’ll generally keep doing what your doing now accept you’ll get to hang at the compound more, and you’ll be required to do some training and such. We’ve got another Junior Avenger coming in as well, so it shouldn’t be too lonely. Actually, three more.”  
“Wow! Th-that’s awesome!” Peter exclaimed.  
“Yeah, yeah. Jump for joy, kid,” Tony said in mock exasperation. “Just swing by the compound Friday night, the meeting with the council will be Saturday morning. Happy’s already emailed May about it. She thinks you’re coming over to learn the ropes of my lab,” he explained. He could practically hear Peter’s grin.  
“Okay, yeah I can do that,” Peter finally said. Tony smiled once he’d hung up the phone. The majority of his team was still missing, he’d just gotten out of his second surgery, and now he was going to have to be involved in even more politics than he had before. Somehow though, he had a feeling that it would turn out okay.


	2. Dispersion: A Secret Soldier

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The new Junior Avengers get together while Team Cap and Team Ironman alike wonder about Tony's secret savior in Siberia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Just wanted to clear some stuff up that I forgot to mention in my first chapter notes. 
> 
> 1\. This story will be told in two parts: Dispersion and Resurrection. The chapters that fall under the Dispersion part of the book will have the word 'Dispersion' in front of their name, and likewise for the Resurrection chapters. 
> 
> 2\. This is unedited because I have very limited time on my hands. I will go back and edit things when I can, so forgive me for any stupid grammar/spelling mistakes. 
> 
> 3\. I am not quite sure about the ages of some characters or the personalities of others (Riri and Kamala), so if they seem a little Oc, it's because I'm going off of what friends tell me, or what the internet says. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Peter had arrived at the Avengers Compound right on time after school. He was bouncing on the balls of his feet, and he looked both excited, and terrified. He had a paper bag in his hands which Tony assumed contained his suit, and was still wearing his backpack.   
“Hi Mr. Stark!” he said, bouncing into the lab.   
“Sup kid,” Tony replied, turning off the hologram he was working on and turning to face the excitable kid.   
“Wow, your lab is so cool- what’s that!” Peter continued to ramble. He was fascinated with Dummy and was downright giddy when Friday started talking to him.   
“Mr. Stark, your lab is so cool!” he exclaimed once Friday had finished explaining to him about how she had been created. “I can’t believe you managed to make such a sentient AI!”   
“Well she’s not the only one,” Tony said, pulling a flash drive out of a drawer labeled “Spider-boy”. Peter’s eyes widened as he saw the flash drive.  
“Mr. Stark is that…”   
“Yup! I’ve had a lot of time on my hands these past few weeks,” Tony said. He had been avoiding having to make statements or be in the public spotlight like it was the plague, and so he had stayed holed up in his lab doing whatever he could think of. He had created Spider-man an AI, a stronger suit, and more upgrades he could think of. He had reached out to other possible junior Avengers and began working on new gear for Natasha. While he was still hurt by her actions, he knew that the Black Widow would be a necessary part of the team.   
In his time out of the limelight, he had successfully recruited three other Junior Avengers, Kamala Khan, Harley Keener, and Riri Williams. Kamala, a polygraph with the ability to stretch her body into any shape, had already been acting as a neighborhood crime fighter. Like Peter, she had been working with a homemade outfit that Tony knew he was going to be upgrading the second he saw it. She had been going by the alias ‘Miss Marvel’, a title that she had based off of her idol, the infamous Carol Danvers. Tony had also tried to get a message to Carol but had been unable to find her. He was about to give up the dream of having Captain Marvel as a member of the New Avengers when he had been approached by Nick Fury. Fury had given him some sort of device that he said would be able to get him in contact with the elusive captain. Tony as currently waiting for a response.   
Harley Keener had been on Tony’s radar ever since he’d met the kid while fighting the Mandarin. He knew that eventually, the mantle of Iron Man would fall onto someone else, and he had always assumed that that would be Harley. He had never mentioned it to the kid of course, but after his latest near-death experience in Siberia at the hands of his own teammates, he decided that it was time to put his plan in motion. Harley had been the quickest to get back to him and had been positively ecstatic at the offer of training to fly an Iron Man suit. He would also be coming up to meet with the council. It had taken a lot of talking to convince his mother to allow him to go, but Tony had eventually convinced her that Harley wouldn’t be in any danger and that it would be a very good educational experience for him. She had relented under the condition that Harley would call her twice daily, and not wonder New York alone.   
Riri Williams was a surprise that Tony hadn’t expected, but was very glad he had found. She had been a student at MIT where she had used stolen campus resources to create her version of the Iron Man armor. Tony had approached her once he had discovered her identity, promising to endorse her and offering her a membership as a junior Avenger. Her aunt had fought strongly against her accepting his offer, but her mother had backed her, and eventually, she agreed. She had chosen to don the name ‘Ironheart’.   
Tony now had two new ironclad heroes that would be able to carry out his legacy, and possibly a third if Peter agreed to switch over to the iron-spider suit. Tony figured he’d give it to the kid once he graduated to full-fledged Avenger. The four recruits had yet to meet each other, but he had a feeling that they’d get along. Riri and Harley would probably bond over their engineering skills while Peter and Kamala would probably both discuss vines that they’d watched at three in the morning. Tony would never understand what went through the minds of Generation Z.  
There was a possible fifth recruit, and Tony did not know what to make of him. He had never met him, but he’d heard an of stories about the boy they called Oliver Sorris. Apparently, he was a child assassin of hydra, taken from his family as a baby and raised to be a killer. He had been sixteen when Hydra fell and had been running from place to place ever since. That wasn’t the strangest part, though. No, the strangest part was that he had died when Captain America, the Winter Soldier, and the Black Panther had destroyed the bridge trying to escape the police. Multiple eyewitnesses reported that he had saved ten people by knocking them out of the way or carrying children out of the rubble, but had been crushed by a large chunk on the bridge. He had managed to crawl out from under but had died only seconds later. Somehow, though, it seemed that his body had managed to get up, fly to Siberia, and fly Tony back to the Avengers Compound. Vision had been the only one to see him and had identified him as Oliver Sorris by searching through all of S.H.I.E.L.D’s old files. Where he gained the power of flight and the ability to carry an unconscious man through the air from Siberia to America was beyond all of them, and he had immediately been taken into custody by the accords council.   
According to Vision, he hadn’t put up a fight. Tony had tried to see him after he woke up from surgery, but he had not been allowed to. He had a feeling that that was going to change soon though. He had gotten a message from the accords council that they were considering Oliver a possible candidate for the New Avengers, and that he would be at the council meeting with the Peter, Kamala, Harley, and Riri. Tony had tried to ask questions about who Oliver was and what had given him his new abilities, but the council had refused to say.   
“It will be explained in the council meeting,” they had said, and Tony settled for that.   
Tony was interrupted from his thoughts by Friday.   
“Boss, Natasha is here to see you.” both Tony and Peter looked up at the door like startled deer and then looked at each other.   
“Mask on,” Tony said. He waited to open the door until Peter had his Spider-man mask on over his face. Tony put his finger to his lips as a way to tell him to stay quiet before unlocking the door and letting it slide open to reveal Natasha. Tony hadn’t seen her since her return to the United States. She had tried to set up a meeting between them, but Pepper at kept her away until Tony was ready.   
“Tony.” she greeted. He nodded at her and watched her eyes flick over to where Peter was standing awkwardly.   
“Spider-man,” she said. Peter fidgeted nervously but remained silent as instructed.   
“You don’t trust me,” she stated. “I’m sorry.” No one knew what to say to that, and the only sound was that of Peter shifting from foot to foot.   
“What can I help you with, Nat?” Tony asked, breaking the silence. She looked up at the use of her old nickname, but Tony didn’t give any indication as to what it meant.   
“I wanted to talk to you about my… image,” she said slowly as if deciding what she wanted to say. It was strange, Tony mused, seeing her unsure of herself. Usually when she had something to say she already knew how she would say it, and what the outcome would be. Now though, it seemed as if she wasn’t quite sure how to tread.   
“Your image?” he asked.   
“Yes. I think… The accords council told me that you were designing my new suit. I was wondering if I could put in a bit of input,” she said in the same slightly unsure tone.  
“What kind of input?” Tony asked carefully. If she wanted more weapons than that wouldn’t be a problem. Neither would more armor if that was what she was after.   
“I know that you’ve got all the tech stuff handled, I was just hoping that maybe you could change up the appearance.” Tony raised his eyebrows as a gesture for her to explain and she sighed.   
“Look, after everything that happened I understand that people don’t trust me. I want people to know that I’m trying to be better. People tend to link emotional change to a change in appearance, so I figured the best way to show that I am turning over a new leaf would be a change in gear,” she explained.   
“She’s right Mr. Stark, whenever I wear something that I don’t usually wear, people tend to think somethings wrong,” Peter jumped in, seeming to forget his promise of silence.   
“I guess that wouldn’t hurt,” Tony said slowly. “I’ll put something together,” he promised her. “Now, anything else?”   
“The council meeting. I was invited to attend, I was wondering who else would be there?” Tony had completely forgotten the fact that all Avengers would be invited to the Junior Avenger recruitment meeting.   
“It will be you, me, the new recruits, the regular council members, T’Challa, and the New Avengers.”   
“And they are?” Natasha prompted. Tony realized that she had not yet moved out of government headquarters and back into the compound, so she wouldn’t have met the New Avengers yet.   
“Dr. Stephen Strange, War Machine, Vision, and the Defenders,” Tony answered. “And before you ask, the Defenders are a group of hero’s that are stationed purely in New York City. Given that your being confined to the US for a while, I’m guessing you’ll be working pretty closely with them for a bit,” Tony said. Natasha nodded. She could do that.   
“And I’m guessing Spider-boy here is one of the junior recruits? He can’t be older than fifteen,” she said.   
“Yup. Him and three others.”   
“I thought there were four others.”   
“There might be, but it’s up to the council. I’ve never actually met the fourth recruit,” Tony admitted. “His name is Sorris though, Oliver Sorris. You might have heard of him, he was in your old field of work,” Tony said. Natasha nodded.   
“I’ve heard the name.” A tense silence filled the room until finally, Peter coughed awkwardly.   
“Um… Mr. Stark? I think someone’s here,” he said as he looked down at a security feed showing what looked like an uber drive up to the compound.   
“That would be one of the recruits now,” Tony said when Kamala Khan stepped out of the car. She was wearing her full Miss Marvel uniform as Tony had requested and was looking around the large compound in awe. Tony always liked seeing people's first reactions to the impressive structure.   
“Friday, send her in,” he said.   
“On it boss,” Friday replied. Natasha looked around the lab one more time and nodded once.   
“I’ll be out of your hair. It was nice to meet you, Spider-man,” she said with a small smile in Peter’s direction before walking out of the lab. Tony and Peter waited for a few seconds after she left, both deep in thought before Tony sighed and clapped his hands together.   
“Alright kid, wanna meet your new teammate?” 

 

Steve was not pleased with how the day was going so far. He had been kicked out of Shuri’s lab by the princess herself and therefore was unable to see Bucky while he was in cryo, not to mention the fact that Shuri was refusing to make him a new shield. She made him two strange weapons that he wasn’t quite sure how to use, and they weren't even vibranium. He had tried to convince her that he needed his shield, but she had only laughed and told him that if he was so convinced he would be attacked than he should leave Wakanda.   
He had returned to his rooms in a disgruntled mood only to find Sam sitting on his bed, a nervous expression on his face.   
“Sam, what’s up?”   
“The accords council is having a meeting tomorrow. A big one.”   
“What do you mean, what’s going on?”   
“They’re going to be hiring new Avengers,” Clint said from behind Steve. He was leaning casually against the doorframe, but Steve could tell how tense the archer was. When Steve had off-handedly mentioned what Sharon had said about Stark wanting to hire more people for the team, Clint had been far more upset than Steve had expected.   
“Already?” Steve asked. The others nodded.   
“Do we know who?”   
“Not for sure, we were hoping Sharon might be able to tell us. You mind giving her a call?” Sam asked. Steve nodded and grabbed the phone that she had had T’Challa give him from its place under his mattress.   
“Where’s Wanda?” he asked while he dialed.   
“Her room,” Clint responded. Steve paused and looked up in surprise.   
“Still?”   
“Yeah, she’s been watching the news and stuff. I think all this is hitting her pretty hard,” Sam explained. Steve nodded in agreement. He’d talk to her later, make sure she was alright. The phone rung only once before Sharon picked up.   
“Steve,” she said in a way of greeting.   
“Sharon, how are you?”   
“I’m fine. I had a close call back in Guatemala, but I got out of it. I would tell you where I’m heading next except…” she trailed off, both knowing that while they were talking on burn phones, they had no idea what kind of technology the governments after them possessed. There was a very good chance that they were being listened to.   
“I understand. I was wondering if you knew anything about Stark’s ‘New Avengers’,” Steve said. “The team was curious about them, but we can’t find anything out.”   
“Oh yeah, I figured you’d be wondering about them. I don’t know much, but I know that Rhodey is currently a team leader. Stark’s got him walking again with some sort of bionic legs, and he’s able to pilot the War Machine suit. Natasha’s back as you probably know, and Vision’s still there. They’ve also teamed up with The Defenders, a group of New York City-based heroes. They work on a smaller scale but have a lot of skill. It makes sense to be allied with them. Dr. Stephen Strange is also on the roster. No one really knows much about him, but from what I gathered he’s a very powerful magic user with a medical background in neurosurgery.”  
“A magic user?”   
“Yeah, they call him the ‘Sorcerer Supreme’, and apparently there are training bases around the world with other sorcerers,” Sharon added. “I’ve still got some friends in the CIA that have been keeping me up to date, so I know for a fact that the meeting tomorrow will be bringing in four new Junior Avengers. They’re all teenagers that show a lot of potential so they won’t be on the field all that much, but once they turn eighteen they’ll be fully admitted. I believe you already know Spider-man,” she said.   
“Do you know his real name?” Steve asked. He wanted to know who Tony was bringing into the Avengers.   
“No, the council agreed that the Junior Avengers can keep their identities secret until they turn eighteen. Until then, no one accept Stark and I’m guessing some of the other Avengers know who they really are.”   
“Damn it, Tony,” Steve sighed. This was taking it too far in Steve’s mind. Recruiting kids to replace him and the team? Really?   
“There’s also talk about Hope Pym joining the Avengers. She has a suit like Scott’s except hers can fly as well. That hasn’t yet been confirmed, but it looks like it’s going to happen any day now. There’s something else too,” she said hesitantly.   
“What is it?”   
“It's only rumored… I can’t confirm this, but there’s talk about another entity that might be joining. The council is keeping it under wraps, but they say that this entity is the only reason that Stark made it out of Siberia alive,” she explained softly.   
“Any idea what it is?” Steve asked stiffly. Guilt slowly began to rise within him, and he had to swallow around a lump in his throat. He didn’t think he’d left Stark in that bad of shape.   
“No, all I’ve heard is the name Oliver Sorris. I looked into him, but everything I’ve found says that Oliver Sorris died when that bridge collapsed when you and Barnes were trying to escape. Multiple eyewitnesses confirmed it.”  
“Well, what happened to the body?”   
“Not sure. Everyone was terrified and in shock, I’m guessing it was just left there for the state to take care of. The kid was an ex-assassin on the run… it’s not like he had a family that was going to come and claim it.” Steve nodded. He’d do a bit of digging himself and see if T’Challa could tell them anything. As he was going to be at the council meeting, perhaps he knew a bit more.   
T’Challa had proven to know just as much as Sharon, though. All he’d been able to do was confirm that there was indeed a fifth recruit and that his story was quite odd. Steve knew that T’Challa wasn’t withholding any information from them, but he felt his frustration rise all the same. He forced himself to let a little bit of it go as he headed to Wanda’s room. This was one of the times when he had to be comforting. Any underlying anger wouldn’t help anyone. He knocked lightly on the wood before quietly pushing the door open. Wanda was sitting with her back to him, a small notebook in her lap.   
“Hey, how are you holding up?” Steve asked in his best ‘comforting Captain America’ tone as Natasha would have called it. He felt a twinge of betrayal at the thought of his former teammate but pushed it away. It was best not to dwell on those sorts of things.   
“I’m fine,” she said, a bit of her Sokovian accent bleeding into her voice. She had tried to change her voice so that the accent was less prominent as they were now wanted criminals, but whenever she was upset or deep in thought it tended to come through again.   
“Wanda, I understand that this is hard. It’s hard on all of us, but we’ll get through it. We always get through it. We just have to stick together.” Wanda looked at him then, and unreadable expression on her face.   
“Like Natasha and Scott? Like how they stuck with us? What exactly are we waiting for Steve?” she asked her. Her tone wasn’t cruel, just confused and slightly scared.   
“Well, for the world to realize that they were wrong. That the accords are corrupt, and that they need us. I’ve been watching the news and with every disaster that could of and wasn’t prevented, more and more people start to want us back. Eventually, they’ll have to pardon us and we’ll get to go home! They need us, they just don’t know it yet.” Steve explained to her. He had always prided himself on his ability to reinvigorate anyone whose spirit was falling.   
“Do they though?” she questioned.   
“Do they what,” Steve replied, brows furrowing.   
“Need us. I’ve been watching the news too Steve, and it seems to me like Stark’s got it under control,” she said stiffly, her eyes glinting red as a slight cloud of scarlet began to accumulate at her fingertips. “He’s already recruited four new Junior Avengers a new magic user who apparently has multiple others at his disposal, and it what your girlfriend said was true, a strange entity that Stark now owes his life to,” she said, the same unreadable expression on her face.   
“How do you know about that?” Steve asked carefully. The information that Sharon had given him was gained by hacking, and friends inside the CIA. None of it would have been released to the press. Not yet, anyway.   
“I heard it through your head,” she said, the scarlet gathering and snaking up her arms. “He doesn’t need or want us anymore. He’s made that fairly clear,” she snarled.   
Steve could see that she was working herself up. All of her hurt and anger was manifesting itself in her hands and Steve felt an irrational spike of fear go through him and seemed that Wanda had sensed it too as she took a deep breath and settled herself back in her chair.   
“He’s not going to call you, Steve. I know about the phone you sent him, and the letter. He’s not going to call.”   
“You don’t know that,” Steve whispered stubbornly. “I know you don’t like Tony, and believe me I understand, but I know him. This whole ‘recruitment thing’ is just a front. They aren't his real team. They aren't his family. That’s us, and he’ll understand that eventually.”   
Wanda stared at him before shaking her head slowly. “No he won’t,” she said. It reminded Steve of when she’d said those exact words when he had said that Tony was going to destroy the Ultron cradle. She had been correct then, but Steve was sure that she was wrong this time. Tony needed them. He just had to open his eyes and see it. 

 

Riri looked at the three other teenagers around her. She was the oldest out of all of them, Peter being fifteen, Kamala being seventeen, and Harley being sixteen. She was technically old enough to be a full-fledged Avenger, but they had all decided that it would be best if she had some time to train with her suit and get to know the others. Harley seemed like a promising young engineer, and Kamala and Peter seemed like they would make very good heroes as well. BOth enhanced powers had shocked her a bit at first, but they were cool with her surprise and had let her ask as many questions as she wanted. Harley was in the middle of explaining the newest updates he’d made to his potato gun when Tony walked into the room they were all lounging in, successfully ending all conversation.   
“Come on, am I that big a mood killer?” he said jokingly. Peter opened his mouth to most likely speak a stammered apology, but Tony waved him off.   
“I was joking, Pete. Anyway, you guys ready? We’re going to be leaving in about fifteen minutes, so I’d recommend getting your suits on. Harley, I have a temporary Iron Man suit for you to wear today. We can customize and upgrade it once all this political stuff is done.” Harley nodded enthusiastically and bounded down to the lab while the others went to change into their own suits.   
“I’m thinking that we can make it match up with Riri’s as you guys are both iron-people in training,” Tony was saying as Harley stared in wonder at the prototype sitting in front of him. It currently wasn’t painted and shone silver in the light of the lab. Harley ran a finger over the mask and grinned.   
“I’m almost finished developing an AI,” Tony was saying as Harley admired the suit, “and I’ve already included the basic weaponry into this one. We can give it a test flight when you get back. Let me know if it’s uncomfortable or if something is sized wrong.”   
“Thanks, Tony!” Harley cheered.   
“Alright, now hurry up and put it on, we don’t have all day,” Tony replied before exiting the lab to go check on the others. He was met by Vision on his way out. The android smiled lightly at him before putting a hand on his shoulder.   
“We’ll be with you the whole time,” he assured the genius.   
“I know, and thanks for that. I don’t know where I’d be without you, Pepper, and Rhodey. Really, I honestly don’t know.” Vision smiled sadly at that.   
“I’m sure you would have found a way to manage,” he said, both they both know that that probably wasn’t true. “Dr. Strange is bringing an associate of his, a man by the name of Wong. He is also a magic user, and highly intelligent.” Tony nodded.  
“Yeah, he mentioned that that might be happening. Any word from Hope if she’s going to attend?”   
“I believe she contacted Ms. Potts and said that she would be there, though she has not said anything about agreeing to join our ranks.”   
“Not surprised, she was raised to hate my name,” Tony mused.   
“I do believe that she’ll come around,” Vision assured him. “When I last spoke to her she seemed very invested in the idea. The Wasp will make a valuable ally.” Tony nodded and they both stood in silence until Harley came out of the lab clad in the new armor.   
“Is it time to go?” he asked. Tony smiled and nodded.   
“Yup, Happy’s bring a car around front, he wants to be there too. Tell the others to head down as well, I’ll be there in a moment.” Harley nodded and scampered back up the stairs to relay Tony’s message to Peter, Kamala, and Riri. Once they were alone once more, Vision turned to Tony.   
“Has the council said anything about Oliver Sorris?” he asked seriously.   
“Yeah, yeah they said he’s gonna be there. They’ve given him a psychological exam and deemed him in good enough mental health to be considered for the Avengers.”  
“Have they determined the source of his powers?” Vision asked curiously. The android had been hoping that maybe if they were able to discover the secret to Oliver’s gifts than perhaps they could find the secret to his own.   
“Yeah, but they didn’t explain over the phone. Apparently, there have been some hacking attempts and so they don’t want to reveal anything classified on tappable lines.” Vision nodded.   
“I’m sure we know who it is that is responsible for that,” he said with more spite than Tony had ever heard in his voice before. They both knew that while Roger’s lacked the computer skills to get through such tough security, Sharon Carter certainly didn’t.   
“Any news on where she is?” Tony asked.   
“No, they are no closer to locating her than they were two weeks ago. They almost got her in Guatemala and again in Portugal, but she got away both times.” Tony sighed. “They’ll get her eventually,” Vision assured him, giving his shoulder a light squeeze before turning to look up the stairs.   
“The others will be waiting,” he said.   
“Yeah, let’s go,” Tony agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have a nice day!


	3. Dispersion: Genesis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The new recruits meet the Avengers council, Tony meets his savior from Siberia and the Rouge Avengers watch CNN.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm blown away by all the support! As many of you probably noticed, the formatting has been giving me a very hard time. I tried something different to see if it would come out a bit easier to read, but bear with me if it does not.

Kamala walked into the council chamber with her head held high. She was the first in line followed immediately by Peter, Harley, and Riri. Peter was fidgeting nervously as seemed to be a habit of his, and Harley’s mask kept on shifting slightly, so Kamala could tell he was trying to discreetly see everyone in the room.   
The council members were all seated on at a large table with five folders in front of each of them. Kamala guessed that there was one folder on each of them, but she wasn’t sure what the fifth was for. She could see Tony, Rhodey, Vision, Dr. Strange, and Natasha all seated at another table which Kamala guessed was for Avengers, and could make out Pepper, Happy, and Hope Pym seated in the audience with other important officials. 

“We are here today to discuss the addition of these four into the new Junior Avengers program,” the man at the head of the council table said. “All for of you have elected to keep your identities to yourselves until you graduate to the status of full-fledged Avenger, and the council has agreed to honor that request. That being said, you will still be required to sign the accords even if it is only with your hero alias.” 

The four of them nodded in agreement and took their seats. Kamala noted that there was a fifth chair at their table, and she wondered if perhaps that had miscounted the recruits. The council was much like Tony had told them it would be; the council asked them questions about why they did what they did, and they answered. They were told that under the accords they were required to undergo thorough mental evaluations and that they would be required to spend their weekends at the compound to train and learn the other aspects of being and Avenger besides fighting.   
The hours ticked by until Kamala was sure that Harley was probably falling asleep behind his mask. Many of the questions seemed quite unnecessary and were beginning to become repetitive. It was almost as if they were stalling, she thought. Finally, after one of the council members had asked Kamala about the terrigan gas that had given her her powers for the fourth time, Tony stood up from his seat. 

“Council member, Miss Marvel has answered this question three times already. If the council has no other relevant questions to ask these four recruits than I would suggest presenting them with the accords, and moving onto the next matter of business,” he said in annoyance. A murmur went up and the council members talked amongst themselves before the man at the head of the table spoke once more. 

“The council has no further questions for the new recruits. They will now be presented with the accords.” A woman stood up from the table and walked over to them, four large stacks of papers in her hands. Kamala couldn’t stop a grin from growing on her face as the large packet was placed in front of her. She grabbed the pen beside her with a flourish, signed ‘Miss Marvel’ on the blank line on the cover. She looked around and saw the other three packets were signed as well. Peter had signed as Spider-man, Riri had written Ironheart, and Harley had signed Ironman. He had yet to come up with his own hero identity and so, for now, they had told him to just sign as Ironman, and he could sign again once he’d picked one. 

“Now, onto the next order of business,” the council leader said. If Kamala didn’t know better, she would have thought he sounded scared. Everyone turned when a door opened and two uniformed guards walked out with a boy that looked to be about the same age as Riri walked in. He wasn’t in any handcuffs or chains, but Kamala got the feeling that he would not be permitted to leave if he were to ask. He approached their table and sat down in the fifth seat, not making eye contact with any of them. She narrowed her eyes as he sat, trying to get a read on him. He was tense, and he held himself as Natasha did. Perhaps he was some kind of agent. The strangest part wasn’t his stance though. When he had been walking in it had looked as though he had brown hair, but now that he was beside her Kamala could see that only half of his hair was brown. The other half was pure white. His eyes were similar. The side of his head where his hair was brown contained a hazel eye while the left side contained a silver one. 

“Please state your name,” the head of the council said. 

“Oliver Sorris,” he said shortly, staring firmly at the council’s table but not looking at any of the council members. The council members looked at each other with different expressions on their faces. 

“The assassin?” one woman asked. Oliver nodded jerkily but did not speak. 

“I would like to object,” Tony said, standing once more. “Oliver was an assassin because he was brainwashed and used as a child soldier. Ever since Hydra fell, he has not killed.” A few people wrote some things down, but there was no attempt to argue with Tony. 

“Mr. Sorris, it is common knowledge that you died after Captain America and James Buchanan Barnes brought down a tunnel bridge while trying to escape authority. Are you aware of that fact?” the woman who had brought their accords packet asked. 

“Yes ma’am,” he said with another jerky nod. 

“Can you confirm that you were indeed the man who was in the tunnel when it collapsed?” she asked. 

“Yes, I can,” he said. 

“But you are clearly not dead, so what really happened?” she pressed. Oliver took a deep breath and finally looked up.   
When the tunnel came down, I was inside along with hundreds of civilians. Everyone was panicking and pieces of the ceiling were falling in. I tried to get everyone out of the way, but there was just too much chaos. I was trying to get to a little boy when the ceiling caved in. Everything hurt, I don’t remember much but everything hurt. I could feel something wrong inside me, there was something inside me,” he said. 

“Eyewitnesses reported seeing a part of a metal railing embedded in your torso,” the woman confirmed. 

“So that’s what it was,” Oliver murmured more to himself than to anyone else. He looked up again and continued. “I crawled out, but it kept on hurting. The light hurt too.” He stopped than, staring back down at the ground. 

“Then what happened then?” another council member prompted. 

“I died,” Oliver stated in a whisper. There was a deafening silence in the hall before the head of the council finally spoke. 

“But that’s impossible. Your sitting in front of us right now, and you saved Tony Stark’s life!” Oliver looked up again and seemed to whisper something to himself and listen to a voice no one else could hear before nodding once and leaning back in his chair. 

“I believe that part of the story belongs to someone else.” Everyone leaned forward as Oliver closed his eyes, and the white from the left side of his hair began to creep over until it had spread completely over to the right. When he opened his eyes, both were silver. There was a tense silence before the head of the council spoke again. 

“Please state your name,” he said. 

“I doubt that you would be able to pronounce it, you may call me Frost,” he stated. It was Oliver’s voice but it sounded different somehow. Older. “I am a winter spirit who was residing in Siberia at the time of the Avengers’ ‘Civil War’ as it is now being called.” he paused for a second, head tilted to the side as if listening before looking up. “Oliver tells me that he filled you in on his death and that I am to fill in what happened afterward, is that correct?” The council nodded silently, still too frightened to speak. Kamala glanced at Peter to see that he was staring at Oliver and Frost from behind his mask. She could practically see the wide-eyed expression on his face. 

“I was there when Captain America and Ironman fought in the old Hydra base. There was another man there too, but I have not yet heard his name.” he tilted his head again and then nodded. “James Buchanan Barnes. From the tunnel.” 

“Is Oliver telling you that right now?” one of the council members asked. 

“Yes. We are currently sharing his conscious, so he is seeing and hearing everything, and can tell me things if I need him to. Now, where was I… right, the fight in Siberia? I did not have a corporeal form at the time, so I could do nothing to intervene. I watched as Captain America and James Buchanan Barnes left Tony Stark for dead. I knew that without a working suit he would not survive, so I flew out to find help.”

“You can fly?” the council member who had begun the questioning asked. Frost looked vaguely annoyed at the interruption but answered her anyway. 

“I can command the winds. If I need to go somewhere quickly, I can summon an air current to take me to that place,” he explained patiently. He paused and tilted his head again. 

“No, Oliver, I am not being rude-” there was another pause and everyone leaned forward. 

“What do you mean apologize!” Frost sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. 

“Fine. I’m sorry for my impatience,” he said, this time addressing the council. “There, are you quite happy now?” he asked Oliver, who it seemed was less than pleased with Frost’s lack of manners. Kamala thought hse hear a quiet snicker from Peter and glanced in his direction, a small smile blooming on her own face. She couldn’t see Harley or Riri’s faces because of their metal masks, but she had a feeling that they were just as amused. While Frost still seemed quite intimidated, it was quite hilarious to see him seemingly lose an argument with himself. 

“Well now that that’s out of the way, may I continue?” he asked the council. The head of the council gave him a nod, and so he dived back into his story. 

“I planned to fly to New York and alert the Avengers about their fallen comrade, but I ended up changing routes upon sensing an open host.” 

“A what?” another council member asked. Frost schooled his features into an expression of neutrality, but Kamala could tell that he was just as annoyed by this interruption as he was by the previous one. 

“An open host. Some humans have the ability to contain a spirit within their bodies. It is very rare, but not impossible. Oliver here is one such person. On my way back to find the Avengers I sensed him and made the decision to save everyone the trip and just use take him as a host and save Mr. Stark myself,” Frost said. “Oliver was dead when I found him, but his soul had not yet departed his body, and so I was able to revive him. We now share his body and brain,” Frost explained. 

“So you possessed Oliver and then went back to Siberia to save Mr. Stark?” the council head confirmed. 

“Yes, that is generally what happened. Mr. Stark was unconscious the entire time, and only Vision saw me. He then alerted all of you who took him to a hospital, and brought me to this building.” The council murmured almost themselves and Kamala saw Tony sitting perfectly still, not looking at either Frost or the council. 

“Frost, you said that Oliver can hear and see us?” 

“In a sense, yes. All of our memories are all shared, so he is seeing and hearing all of this as the memories are created. It’s like the slight lag time on a telephone.” 

“Well, the council has agreed that you both qualify as candidates for the Avengers. Oliver for his skills as an assassin like Black Window,” the council head said, nodding towards where Natasha was sitting, “and you for your enhanced abilities.” Frost tilted his head in interest. 

“From what I’ve seen, the Avengers aren’t exactly a stable unit.” 

“Times are changing,” Kamala found herself saying. “The Avengers are becoming something else. Something better It’s why I’m here at least.” Frost regarded her with interest and then turned his gaze up to look at Tony. 

“Mr. Stark is here, even though the Avengers are responsible for all his pain.” Tony looked down and met Frost’s silver gaze. Natasha was looking at the floor and Kamala felt satisfaction shoot through her. The Black Widow was ashamed. Good. 

“I will accept your proposition. Oliver will as well,” Frost said. “Now if you’ll excuse me, it has been a long day. I would very much like to sleep now.” With that, the white receded back to the left side of his hair, and Oliver was back in control. 

“So, where do I sign?” he asked, looking around. 

 

Clint was reading in the common room when Wanda came running in and ordered him to turn on the TV, a frantic expression on her face. 

“What! What’s happening?” he yelled as she snatched up the remote and began flipping through the various news channels. 

“The council had a meeting today. They let in five new recruits and have decided to air the footage,” she said, finally landing on CNN, which was the first channel airing the story. She leaned forward in anticipation while Clint quickly called in Sam and Steve. 

“What’s going on?” Sam asked as he came running in with Steve in tow. 

“The New Avengers,” Wanda said, “Now shush, I’m trying to listen.” 

“...rumors have been circulating about the Avengers recruiting new members to train as Junior Avengers until they’re old enough to go out on the field. Those rumors were confirmed today when four teenagers, two of whom were enhanced, signed the accords and were the official first members of the Young Avengers. The Accords Council and Avengers Initiative also agreed to add a new member to the official Avengers roster. Let’s take a look,” the newscaster said. 

They all watched as the screen switched from the three reporters to what they assumed to be the meeting place for the accords council. The camera was focused on a table with four masked individuals that Clint assumed to be the new recruits. He narrowed his eyes when he recognized the Spider-man from the airport battle. Had Stark brought a kid into their fight? Next to him was a girl in a blue dress with a lightning bolt down the front and a red mask covering her eyes. On his other side were two ironclad figures. One was clearly a woman based on how the suit fit around her, and the other Clint figured was male given that they looked to be wearing an identical suit to Stark except without the paint. 

The newscast skipped through the footage, only showing some of the questionings by the council and zooming in when the teenagers signed the accords. The girl who Clint now knew was Miss Marvel was grinning happily, and Spider-man seemed pleased as well. Ironheart gave the other iron hero who had signed as ‘iron man’ until he could come up with his own hero alias a thumbs up, and he offered a fist bump in return. It was after that that things got really interesting. 

When Oliver Sorris was brought out, Wanda’s eyes narrowed. Clint glared hard at the screen. He knew that he recognized the man’s face, he just wasn’t sure from where. 

“Who is that?” Wanda asked. 

“I’m sure they will say-”

“Who is it!” she sounded upset, and Steve put a gentle hand on her shoulder. 

“Sam’s right, they’ll say in a few minutes,” he assured her. The Scarlet Witch took a few calming breaths and leaned back on the couch, eyes never leaving the screen. The second his name was revealed, she sat bolt upright. 

“Oliver!” she yelled. 

“What?” Clint asked, watching as she paced around the small room. 

“He was an assassin for Hydra,” she explained. “They attempted to use the scepter to give him powers before they tried it on Pietro and I, but it didn’t work. He survived though, so they kept using him.” 

“Did you know him well? “Steve asked. He hadn’t been aware that Wanda had been on a first name basis with Hydra assassins. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that, but he was sure that it didn’t mean anything. She had just been a kid, she didn’t know what she was doing. 

“Not well per se, but I knew him for a little bit. He was stationed in Sokovia when Hydra fell. In all the chaos he just slipped away. I think he’d been looking for the chance to do so for a while,” she added in a softer tone this time. 

“Was his hair always like that?” Clint asked. It seemed that Miss Marvel had noticed the strange white hair on the left side of his head as well as he could see her making subtle glances at him from her seat beside him. 

“No, his hair was always brown,” Wanda confirmed, leaning forward to get a better look at him. “His eyes weren't like that either, they were both hazle. His job was to fit in, so he wasn’t allowed to do anything like that. Maybe it was just a way of stating his freedom,” she mused. 

“Hey guys, shhh,” Sam said. “What are they saying?” 

“Mr. Sorris, it is common knowledge that you died after Captain America and James Buchanan Barnes brought down a tunnel bridge while trying to escape authority. Are you aware of that fact?” one of the council members was saying. Sam looked over at Steve with an unreadable expression. 

“You said everyone was fine,” he accused. Steve looked at him in alarm and realized that Sam wasn’t the only one that seemed wary of him. 

“I thought they were,” he defended weakly. Wanda watched him carefully but said nothing. Clint chose to ignore them all and focus on the TV. 

“That’s what I’d like to know,” the archer said when the council asked how Oliver was still there and not buried six feet under. The interview was a strange one, and when Frost came out, they were all too shocked to say anything. Sam, though, seemed very interested in the part where Frost and Oliver were the only reason that Tony had survived Siberia. 

“What the Hell, man? You said that Stark was fine! Frostbite, hypothermia, and a broken ribcage and sternum is not even remotely near fine.” 

“I didn’t know!” Steve yelled back. “He was awake when we left!” 

“That doesn’t mean anything!” Sam shot back. “You left him there with no means of communicating his position and no power left in his suit! No wonder no ones seen him out in public yet, he’s probably still in the hospital!” 

“He’s not,” Wanda said, eyes glued on the screen. “He’s right there.”   
They all followed where her finger was pointing and saw that he was indeed present at the Avengers table. He was sitting in between Rhody and Vision in a suit and sunglasses like he usually did. His face still looked pretty beat up and his arm was in a sling, but he looked okay other than that. Rhodey, much to their surprise wasn’t in a wheelchair. He seemed to have some sort of contraption around his legs and attached to his torso that they guessed were temporary bionic legs. If Sam’s eyes seemed slightly wet, no one commented on it. Wanda’s expression was unreadable as when she saw Vision. He looked fine, but she could see how he was sitting just so so that no one on his side of the large council room could see Tony. Wanda knew that he was protective of those he loved, and she knew that had it been Tony that she’d been attempting to push through the floor instead of him then he would have happily locked her on the raft. She unconsciously reached to her neck to feel where the color had been before resting her hands back in her lap. There was no reason to dwell on that now. 

A man that she didn’t recognize was sitting beside Vision. He had a goatee similar to that of Stark’s and, a strange red cape hovered behind him from his shoulders. This was the new magic user, she realized. 

Everyone found their gaze drawn to Natasha, who was staring determinedly at the floor. Her hair was still short and blonde and instead of her old Black Widow uniform, she was wearing what looked to be a black armored bodysuit with a green vest over it. 

“Looks like Tony’s made her some new stuff,” Sam noted. 

“Well that’s a good sign,” Steve said, trying to remain optimistic for the sake of his team. “It means that he’s ready to move past what happened.” 

“If he’s ready to move past what happened, then why are we here?” Wanda muttered. No one could offer her any reply. They watched as the interview continued, all paying more attention to their old teammates than to anything Oliver Sorris or the council members were saying. That was until suddenly Oliver Sorris wasn’t Oliver Sorris anymore. 

“Well that would explain how he came back to life,” Clint said. 

“And how he knew Stark was in Siberia,” Wanda added. Sam shot Steve a disgusted expression when Frost began describing how Stark had been left in Siberia. 

“You and I are gonna have a talk later,” Sam promised. “It’s gonna be long, and it’s not gonna be pretty.” Steve said nothing but nodded anyway. He could sense that he was losing Sam’s support, and it seemed that the public wasn’t going to be on his side after this. Wanda seemed to be having similar thoughts. 

“Have they released an official list of charges for us?” she asked once the meeting had ended and the reporters had begun to analyze what had happened. 

“What does it matter? All those charges will be dropped once they pardon us,” Clint said. 

“Wanda has a point,” Sam said. “If we get pardoned and all the government charges are dropped, we still won’t be invincible. Individuals and companies can go after us for anything. Vision could go after Wanda claiming assault, and he’d probably win. We all played a part in the damage to the airport, and Rhodey could go after me personally. Not to mention the tunnel. Oliver could sue you and Barnes,” Sam stated, now talking directly to Steve. “And Tony could go after you for attempted murder and seek compensation for his medical bills. 

“Money’s not a problem for Stark,” Wanda pointed out. 

“That doesn’t matter, he could easily win that case with all the evidence against Steve and Bucky. Not to mention that Frost and therefore Oliver are now eyewitnesses. Do you remember what he said? He and Oliver share memories. That makes it two to three witnesses if Bucky wakes up.” They all let this sink in until Wanda spoke up again. 

“We’re all wearing SI gear. Carrying SI weapons. Tony might let that go, but Pepper will eat us alive.” Even Clint was beginning to look uneasy at the idea of having to face Pepper. While Tony had always bent to their wills, Pepper was a force to be reckoned with. Steve stood up suddenly and crossed his arms. 

“Stop that! You guys are spinning this way worse than it is. I didn’t try to kill Tony! He attacked Bucky, it was self-defense! Wanda, you didn’t assault Vision, you were just trying to escape. Yes, we’re carrying Stark’s tech, but they were gifts! Besides, the world needs us. They need us to be saving people, not spending time holed up in court. All of this will be pushed to the side once they see that Stark’s new team of wannabe heroes can’t compare.” With that, he walked out of the room to call Sharon. After a few moments of silence, Wanda followed, a thin stream of scarlet connecting her to the conversation going on via the burn phone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have a good day!


	4. Dispersion: Did You Ever Consider?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Captain Marvel, infighting in Wakanda, and finally some Bucky time!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I realize that this timeline is probably wrong, but I don't really care given that I've heard multiple things about the time frame between Civil War, Black Panther, and Endgame. Either way, hope you enjoy!

The compound had seemed empty to Rhodey for so long. It had only been him and Vision there to keep Tony company. Happy and Pepper would come by when they could, but both were incredibly busy and eventually had to leave. 

When Tony had first come back from the hospital after his first surgery, it was purely to design and create his new ribcage and sternum for the surgeons to replace the temporary one with. Tony had locked himself in his lab and not come out until the new vibranium parts were finished. Rhodey had been practicing maneuvering around in his wheelchair more effectively when he had gotten an alert from FRIDAY saying that Tony was sitting in the hallway outside of his lab. Rhodey had gone down to the lab as fast as he could, the elevator seeming to move slower than usual in his rush. When he finally got to the hallway outside of the lab he found Tony just where FRIDAY had said he would be. He looked broken. There wasn’t any other way to describe the man that Rhodey saw before him. His hair was greasy and tangled and the bags beneath his eyes were so dark that Rhodey couldn’t tell whether they were injuries from Siberia, or just from lack of sleep. His breathing wasn’t quite right, but according to the doctors, that was to be expected until the second surgery. 

Rhody had stayed with him for an hour, both of them just sitting, one in a chair and one against the wall. Neither had spoken, yet it seemed that they shared a thousand words by the time Tony shakily stood up. The genius had sighed, looked around, and then murmured six words. 

“I want to take a shower,” he had said. Rhodey had never been happier to hear that phrase in his entire life. He had watched as Tony had slowly wandered up the stairs, and told FRIDAY to make sure that he made it to the shower. He did. 

After the second surgery, Tony was much the same. He locked himself in his lab and didn’t come out. Pepper and Rhodey would bring him food and Vision would phase through the walls to check on him. Happy would come by every day to deliver security reports. Rhodey knew that it would be far easier for the man to just email his reports in, and the effort that he was putting in to show that he cared made Rhodey smile. 

It took longer for Tony to come out of his lab this time. Since he no longer had a time table, he stayed hidden away for much longer. Rhodey wondered what he was doing in there, but knew that no amount of pestering would get him any answers. 

It took two weeks before Tony came back out of the lab, this time with the first prototype of Rhodey’s new legs along with upgrades for the Spider-man’s suit, and a list of possible recruits for the New Avengers. As more time went by, Tony spent less time in his lab and more time with his friends. He still made upgrades and worked on amendments for the accords, but this time he let others work with him. Rhodey was by his side when he spoke to Riri Williams for the first time, and Pepper was in his corner when he argued for the protection of underaged hero's identities until they were full-fledged Avengers. Vision helped him develop AI’s for the new recruit’s suits, and Rhodey was there whenever he sensed Tony’s strength beginning to wain. 

It was in the middle of all this that Tony met Stephen Strange. He had heard of the man before from when they were nothing more than rich geniuses who could never settle down, but he had not known about the magic stuff until the doctor portaled into Tony’s lab one day asking for a moment to talk. After asking all the questions he could possibly think of, Tony finally allowed the doctor to speak about whatever was urgent enough for the man to portal himself into Tony’ lab for. The conversation had been rather brief, consisting mostly of Strange informing Tony that sorcerers did indeed exist, and that should the Avengers require assistance, Strange could provide an entire army of them as he was the sorcerer supreme. He also assured Tony that he was more than willing to sign the accords and that he would argue in favor of Tony’s proposed amendments that would ensure the safety of the Junior Avengers. Tony handed him a membership on the spot. 

Stephen Strange soon became a familiar face at the compound, and as he began to piece together more and more about what had happened with Team Cap, he joined Rhodey, Peper, and Vision in what Peter would later refer to as “The Stark Squad”. Rhodey had come to appreciate the support that Stephen provided for Tony. He wasn’t sure when he had shifted from referring to him as ‘Strange’ to calling him ‘Stephen’, but he found he didn’t mind. So long as the man didn’t hurt Tony, Rhodey would happily call him a friend. It was not long after Stephen joined that Tony approached the Defenders with the offer of an alliance. He knew that they would not want to be absorbed into the Avengers, but he thought that he might have a chance at getting someone else on his side, and it wouldn’t hurt to have a few more people watching over New York City that he was sure he could trust. 

Jessica Jones had been the person that he talked the most. She had not trusted him fully at first, but after a few meeting, she had decided that it might be worth creating a tentative alliance with the Avengers. She had allowed Tony to show her around the compound and tested out a few of the training inventions he’d made for cap to train with considering his strength had destroyed all of the regular grade equipment. Jessica had taken a liking to cap ’s old punching bag, and Tony had allowed her to keep it as a show of good faith. Truthfully, he had been planning to trash it anyway, but no one needed to know about that part. He had a feeling that she did anyway. 

The Defenders had not been there when Natasha had returned back to the states, but Jessica had later sent him an email asking if he needed any help with anything, and Tony had smiled at the thought. He had assured her that all was well, but that he’d let her know if he thought that Natasha would be causing any problems. She had always been smarter than the rest of Steve’s Team. She knew when she was beaten. Stephen had been there though, and he had not been keen on trusting the Black Widow upon her return. Rhodey could tell by the way he tracked her movements, and by the way the Cloak of Levitation was wrapped protectively around Tony instead of Stephen himself. When Natasha proved to be highly unproblematic for the most part, Stephen eventually allowed his guard to drop slightly. He seemed to realize what the others had known all along. Natasha was not going to be the problem. They all knew that the other rogues would be back eventually. It was inevitable, really While Tony was building up a very impressive team of hero’s with equally impressive allies, they had yet to prove themselves. He didn’t doubt that they could, but others did. When it came down to it, eventually there would be a threat that the world would not trust anybody but the original Avengers to handle, and everything would be pardoned. There would be no avoiding it. Tony could not make any sort of move to block the pardons when they did, and he would be forced to share his home, his life, and his heart with the ones who had betrayed him. 

“No,” Stephen said, shaking his head. Tony had brought up his concerns with the other man when they were re-watching old episodes of Supernatural. 

“It’s going to happen Stephen, it’s not something that I have any control over. The council decides who joins, all I can do is make recommendations. Besides, the second a crisis breaks out, everyone will go crying back to Captain America in search of leadership. It’s inevitable.” 

“Yes, they will eventually get pardoned and return, but it doesn’t have to be like it was before. They used you like a doormat, Tony. Yes, they were able to accomplish great things, but that doesn’t excuse the way they treated you. You are under no obligation to let them stay in the compound. The council can’t make you make them new gear, and they most certainly can’t make you let them into your personal life. They will be co-workers. That’s all,” Stephen said firmly.

“Actually, they will need to live at the compound. I gifted the East Wing to Avengers Initiative, so they can house anyone they want there. As for the gear, they’ll accuse me of favoritism if I only provided for half the team.” 

“And that’s so terrible?” Stephen asked. “They know what they did to you. If they didn’t before, they certainly do now after Frost’s testimony. From what I heard about them, I highly doubt that the news will be glossed over. He may not even know you, but Sam doesn’t seem like the type to standby as his friend abandons someone to die. Clint, I’m not sure. After what you say he said on the raft, I can’t be certain where he lies. He might be a bit more willing to let Siberia go, but it will plant doubt in his mind. A kind of doubt that will be able to grow with proper nourishment. And let’s not forget Maximoff-” 

“Ha!” Tony interrupted. Stephen, Maximoff hates me. She’s wanted me dead multiple times.” 

“Even so, I do believe that Wanda has seen more than enough death and betrayal during her time on this Earth. She was willing to hate you over something you had no control over. I do believe that she’ll be willing to at least question Steve over something that he consciously did. Besides, now that we have Jones on our side the Council may find Steve necessary.” Tony snorted at that. 

“Unlikely. He’s Captain America.” 

“Privet America really. He never completed his military training,” a voice said from the doorway. Stephen was up in a flash, two golden disks circling his hands while the iron man suit crawled over Tony's skin and embraced him in a metal hug. The two Avengers found themselves face to face with a blonde woman wearing a strange suit with a symbol that looks vaguely familiar. 

“Hey! Not the kind for warm welcomes I see,” she said, raising her hands. “Fury told me you lot were pretty uptight, but geez, this is a bit much.” 

“You know Fury?” Stephen asked, still not lowering his hands. 

“You’re Captain Marvel. Fury said he’d try to get in contact with you,” Tony realized, lowering his repulsor. The woman smirked and nodded. 

“He sent me right over. I take it he didn’t take the time to alert you all first?” she asked. Stephen shook his head as he slowly lowered his hands and let the gold flicker out. He did remember Tony mentioning something about a friend of Fury’s named Carol Danvers coming to help out. 

“Did he fill you in on what’s been going down?” Tony asked carefully. 

“As much as there was time for. He told me that he created a group called the Avengers and that they broke up. Some are now fugitives of the law, while you are now rebuilding what’s left of the team into something better. 

“Yeah, that’s basically it,” Stephen said. “You also have a fan amongst the Junior Avengers,” he added, thinking about Kamala and her love for Captain Marvel. 

“Yeah, he mentioned something about that. A lot’s changed since I was last here apparently, I had no idea that Earth had such interesting species. Two half bugs, a man made of metal, and an android,” she mused. 

“I’m not made of metal-” Tony started only for Stephen to cut him off. 

“You are absolutely right, that is exactly what Earth has now.” 

“Stephen!” Tony argued in mock offense. The sorcerer supreme just smirked and turned his attention back to Carol. 

“Did he mention anything about the accords?” her brow furrowed at that. 

“Yes, he said something about signing a paper in order to be an Avenger. He also said it’s what caused the first Avengers to fail.”

“Are you saying you won’t sign?” Stephen asked, eyebrows raised. 

“From what I’ve heard, the Avengers were destined to fail. Fury told me that while you were able to save the world time after time, there was always more destruction than necessary, and more infighting than he thought possible. The Avengers were broken and if the accords were able to show the world this fact than they are worthy documents in my eyes,” Carol said. “Now, Fury said something about meeting a council?” 

 

Sam scrolled through Twitter, unsure of what he was hoping to find. His talk with Steve had not gone well, and the two seemed to be on very thin ice at the moment. Clint had stood by Steve and banished Sam from the common room while Wanda had fled to her own room when the fighting began. It hadn’t gotten physical, but a part of Sam wished it had. A small, traitorous little part of him wished that the others could see their golden captain lash out in anger and prove who he really was. He huffed out a breath as he scrolled through yet another post by some big celebrity about how team cap was tarnishing the Avengers name, and how Steve should no longer be permitted to refer to himself as ‘Captain America’. 

“Still looking through all that?” Wanda asked, silently padding into the room and peering over Sam’s shoulder. 

“Yeah, I guess,” he replied, closing his computer and glancing up at her. “They don’t seem particularly fond of us at the moment,” he said, scooting over so that she could sit down beside him. 

“No,” she agreed. 

“It doesn't seem like they’re going to seem very fond of us any time soon either,” he added. Wanda nodded again, looking vacantly out the window and at the Wakandan landscape beyond. “Do you think that Steve is right? That they’ll ever give us pardons?” he finally asked her. Wanda didn’t react at first. After a minute he wondered if perhaps she hadn’t heard him until she turned back to face him, tears in her eyes. 

“He’s recruited another. Captain Marvel, Nick Fury sent her. I heard Sharon telling Steve about her on the phone. She got her powers from the tesseract, just like I got mine from the mind stone. She didn’t volunteer for a terrorist group though, she got them nobily. She got them by preparing to die to protect her home. Her friends. Even an entire race she’d never met.” Wanda let that sink in before continuing. 

“He’s allied himself with the Defenders, according to Sharon. I don’t know much, but at least two of them have enhanced strength. Apparently, Stark gave some of Steve’s old gear to Jessica Jones and is planning on giving them more. He’s already got two more people with flying suits as well as the sorcerer supreme on his side, and probably Scott’s ex. It won’t be long until the world realizes that they don’t need us anymore. There are other archers, and there are other people that can fly the Falcon wings. Apparently, there’s also more magic users. We’re all replaceable, Sam. He’s replaced us.” Sam bowed his head but looked up sharply when he heard a light tap on the door. 

“Don’t talk like that,” Steve said from where he was looking down at them with pity in his eyes. “Tony can’t replace us. This is just him trying to cope. Once his group of amateurs is put in the field for real, he’ll realize that he can’t do this without us. He’ll be begging us to come back,” Steve promised. Sam was getting really tired of that speal. 

“Is he?” Wanda asked. “You’re not the only one with outside contacts, Steve. I know from very credible sources that Stark is doing just fine on his own.” Wanda reached into the pocket of her sweatshirt and pulled out a burn phone very similar to the one that Steve had given Tony. 

“Is that-”

“The second Stark saw the one you sent him, he told Vision to destroy it. It gave him an idea though. He flew over here a few days ago under the guise of accords business with T’Challa, and asked him to give me this,” she explained, holding the phone up higher. 

“You’ve been talking to Vision?” Steve asked in confusion. 

“Woah, Woah, Woah,” Sam interrupted. “Stark knows we’re here? Why hasn’t he put us in jail!” Steve looked like he wanted to ask the same thing, but his face quickly smoothed over into a gentle smile. 

“Because he doesn’t want us in jail. He still cares about us,” the super soldier said happily. “It’s his way of saying that he forgives us.” Wanda shook her head.. 

“It’s because he knows that there are bigger threats and that he’ll need all hands on deck once they start coming for Earth. Two of the six infinity stones are here, it’s only a matter of time before someone comes for them. He thinks we could be of use, purely to boost his numbers. It’s not that we’re irreplaceable.” 

Steve stood in silence, letting Wanda’s words sink in. Sam stared at the floor while Wanda turned the phone over in her hand. With a sigh, she stood up and left the room. 

“Look ma, after what happened in Siberia? It’s a miracle Stark hasn’t put all of us back in the Raft. Personally, I think it’s to protect Wakanda’s reputation more than anything. If you think he still cares about you after what you did to him then you’ve got another thing coming. You’re my friend so I’ll stand by you with this whole accord thing, but with this? Nuh-uh. He’s not going to be sending for us anytime soon. If we return to the states, it will be because the government wants us, not the Avengers Initiative. Not anymore.” 

“Sam, that’s not-”

“Please get out of my room, Steve, I need to think,” he said in a tone that wasn’t quite cold but wasn’t warm either. Steve looked like he wanted to argue his point a bit more, but after a few minutes of silence, he seemed to decide it wasn’t worth upsetting Sam further and left. 

 

T’Challa had never thought that he’d see the day that outsiders were given sanctuary in Wakanda. He also never thought that he would be the one offering it to them, yet here he was. They were being housed in an area remote enough that they were not affected by Erik’s attack. He had had their guards stay with them through the whole thing and made sure that they did not know for if they knew, than they would try to get involved. The last thing T’Challa needed was a group of foreign soldiers getting involved in their disagreement. It had been an issue for Wakanda to settle. 

All had turned out well in the end. T’CHalla had obviously survived the attack from his cousin, and Wakanda had taken a step into the light. Joining the rest of the world would, T’Challa knew, pose just as many pros as it did cons. At the moment though, it was the cons that were on his mind. Should any other nation discover the presence of Steve Rogers and his team, than they would bring war to Wakanda’s doorstep. With the amount of foreign embassies coming and going now, T’Challa realized that the chances of that happening were far greater. It was for that reason that he had approached Shuri about getting done with the solution for the trigger words in Steve’s friend’s head. He said that he wanted them done fast, and she had delivered. It had taken almost every scientist in Wakanda helping her, but it had worked. Now T’Challa was on his way to the lab where they would be waking up Bucky Barnes in a few short minutes. 

“Brother! You’re late!” Shuri said in lieu of a greeting. “We had to start the process without you, but he is not yet fully awake.” 

“Do the Avengers know?” T’Challa questioned. 

“Which ones?” Shuri asked. “The heros in New York, or the cowards hiding here?” T’Challa shot her a glare which she ignored. 

“The one’s here,” he finally said. 

“No, I have not yet told them,” Shuri admit. “I was hoping you or Okoye might be able to do it. Or better yet, just send Mr. Barnes back to New York to be treated in the United States. While we were able to undo most of what Hydra did, his mental state is far from secure. I'm not a therapist, I can’t help him with that.” T’Challa considered her for a moment. 

“You do not believe that I should have allowed them to stay here.” 

“No, I do not. I believe that you should have taken in Bares, and told the others to find other accommodations. I think that you agree with me on some level, you do not want them here either. I can tell.” T’Challa sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. 

“Well now they are here, and we have no choice but to keep them here. If we send Mr. Barnes back to the states without Steve Rogers’ approval, then I shudder to think of what he will do in his anger.”

“You think he would dare attack?” 

“I can not be sure, but I know that it is not something that I wish to find out any time soon. Do what you can for Barnes. If it turns out that he needs more help than we can offer him, than we can get in contact with the Avengers. Stark doesn’t like him, but I believe that he is willing to help. He has come to terms with what happened to his parents and while he may never forgive Barnes, he understands that he didn’t have control over his mind. I don’t believe that he would prosecute him if he were to return to the states. Besides, if he wanted Barnes dead, he would come and do it himself.” 

“Very well,” Shuri said, clearly unhappy with her brother’s response. “He’s awake,” she added. The scientists cleared a path so that she and T’Challa could get to Bucky, who was slowly blinking himself awake. 

“Do you know who I am?” T’Challa asked once the super soldier’s eyes focused on his face. 

“King T’Challa of Wakanda,” he said, voice hoarse from disuse. 

“Do you know where you are?” T’Challa asked next. 

“Wakanda,” Bucky answered slowly. “We came here after the fight with Stark. I let myself go back under the ice so that I could get fixed… Am I fixed?” he asked, looking up. 

“Mostly,” Shuri said with a small smile. This one seemed more polite than his friends, she mused. “We were able to remove the trigger words form your head, but there is a lot of damage that will take more than science to fix.” Bucky nodded slowly, seeming to understand what she was saying. 

“Are the other’s still here?” he asked carefully. 

“Captain America, Scarlet Witch, Falcon, and Hawkeye are still here, yes. Black Widow and the Ant-man both took plea-deals to return to the United States of America,” T’Challa explained. 

“They’ve offered deals?” Bucky asked, hope sparking in his eyes. “We can go home? Stevie’s gonna be so excited!” Bucky began only to stop when he saw the expressions on Shuri and T’Challa’s faces. 

“The rouge Avengers were indeed offered plea deals, but Black Widow and the Ant-man were the only ones to accept. Those that remain here are the ones who refused,” Shuri explained. 

“What! Why?” Bucky asked in alarm. 

“Because Mr. Rogers is under the impression that he will be offered a full pardon for him and his team to return to the states with full Avengers status,” T’Challa answered. Bucky gave him a black look. 

“He honestly thinks that that’s even a possibility?” 

“It appears so, yes,” T’Challa said. Bucky shook his head. 

“I’ve got to talk some sense into him. Where is he, when can I see him?” He stopped his questions when T’Challa held up a hand for silence. 

“We will take you to him soon, but first we must run a few quick tests to make sure that everything is in place. Okoye will take you to them after that. It should only take an hour or so,” Shuri explained. Bucky nodded and leaned back down when a scientist gestured for him to do so. As people ran tests around him, Bucky planned on what he’d say to Steve. Clearly, he wasn’t thinking straight if he thought that he’d be able to go back home without facing any consequences. They could of course bargain to make the deals a bit softer. He was sure that Natasha would vouch for them, and possibly Stark. He just had to talk to Steve. 

 

Captain Marvel was proving far more useful than Tony had originally expected. He had been forced to begin developing a whole new line of training equipment for her powers which, while packing more destructive power than he thought was possible, were kept in check, unlike a certain member of his previous teams’ abilities. 

Her council hearing had gone quite seamlessly as Fury had already briefed almost everyone of importance about who she was and what she could do for them. Most of the questions directed at her were about the missions she’d done in space and about whether or not she would be able to tell them anything about what else was out there. T’Challa had not said anything, but Tony knew that he was probably memorizing every small detail of the event so that he could report back to the rogues and keep them in the loop as to what was going on. T’Challa was not a stupid man, so Tony had to wonder what he was doing sheltering Rogers. Then again, Tony himself had sheltered him for years, and he was a genius. 

Carol’s room at the compound was put between Vision and Dr. Strange, though Stephen’s room was more honorary as he usually stayed at the sanctum. Tony had had to laugh at all the nineties stuff she decorated with, but couldn’t really judge once she pointed out his collection of old rock. She fit in quite well at the compound, the Avengers, Junior Avengers, and Defenders all taking a liking to her once they’d all officially met. Her addition to the team had ended up winning Hope Pym over as well, and Tony was currently working on her application to send to the council. He had just finished attaching the blueprint of her Wasp suit when Peter and Kamala burst into the lab. 

“Mr. Stark! Mr. Stark!” Peter yelled. 

“What’s up kid?” Tony asked. He was used to their antics by now, but something about this time seemed more serious. 

“Have you heard?” Kamala said. 

“It’s all over the news-” 

“It’s way too widespread to be fake-” Riri said, running up behind them with Harley. 

“Slow down, what is it? What news?” Tony demanded, now definitely knowing something was wrong. The four teenagers looked at each other, seemingly unsure of how to proceed until the voice of Oliver Sorris rang out from behind them. 

“The accords council got an untraceable message from the rouge Avengers two hours ago. They want to try and negotiate a pardon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;)


	5. Dispersion: The Runaround

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers shoot back at the Rogues, Frost & Oliver get a gift, and Wanda is beginning to realize that she picked the wrong side of the war.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! As you'll probably be able to see, the plot of the story is beginning to unfold. Hope you enjoy!

The Avengers and the Junior Avengers met in the conference room outside of Tony’s lab, all of them in full uniform but without their weapons. Tony was sitting at one end of the table, Rhodey on one side and Stephen on the other. Carol was at the other end with Frost and Oliver of her left and Kamala on her right. Natasha and Hope were both there as well, both women wearing similar grim expressions. 

“Alright, I’m going to assume that you all know why we’re here,” Rhodey began. “Earlier today the accords council received a message from an untraceable source which has been confirmed to be from the rogue Avengers which include Captain America, Scarlet Witch, Falcon, Hawkeye, and as of now, the Winter Soldier.” 

“He’s awake then?” Stephen asked. Rhodey nodded. 

“According to the message, he was the one who wanted to open up communications. He actually wanted to take the plea deal, but Captain America refused,” Rhodey confirmed. 

“Has the council responded to the message?” Natasha asked. 

“Yes, though they did not give much ground. They just asked Rogers a few questions to confirm that it was really him. It is,” Carol explained. 

“Have the rogues sent anything else?” Stephen asked. 

“Yes, and we are pretty sure that it is a different person writing each time. Whenever it is Rogers, the word ‘pardoned’ comes up quite often. If it is Barnes or one of the others, the word ‘deal’ is a bit more common,” she added. 

“So they are expecting different things,” Stephen murmured to himself.   
“They always were,” Natasha said quietly. “Steve always thought that we were going to be going home and made Avengers again. He thought that the accords were just a trend and that Tony would welcome us all back with open arms.” 

“If that’s what he expects then he’s got another thing coming,” Riri declared. “If that star-spangled asshat shows his face here again, he’s gonna get a repulser to the face.”   
“Yeah, I vote we prepare a message,” Peter said. “We should make sure they know that they’re not welcome.” 

“Well I’m glad you feel that way because that’s what they want us to do,” Tony said, speaking for the first time since he received the message. The others at the table all turned to look at him but he continued to stare resolutely at the table. “We aren’t required to. We only need to send one if we all agree to, and anyone who doesn’t want to be on camera doesn’t have to be.” 

“I think we should do it,” Harley said. The three other teenagers all nodded in agreement. Natasha gave a shirt nod as well and so did Vision and Rhodey. 

“Oliver and I believe that it would be beneficial,” Frost said with a slight nod. “No, I am not trying to be pretentious!” he hissed under his breath at Oliver. Within the moment, everyone had agreed. 

“Alright then, I’ll call the Defenders, see if they want to be here. Carol, Rhodey, you guys are the team leaders, so you guys should talk. Everyone, go get your weapons and put your masks on if you aren’t wearing them already,” Tony ordered. Carol and Rhodey looked like they wanted to protest, but Tony shot them a glare which successfully kept them quiet. 

“Doc, you want any of your wizard friends with you?” Tony asked. 

“Yeah, I think I’ll bring Wong along if you don’t mind, and perhaps Clea. The more magic users present, the faster the message the Maximoff isn’t special will spread.” Tony nodded before clearing his throat and standing up.   
“Well, I’ll give you all some time to prepare. Rhodey, Carol, write up a script if you want. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve gotta make a phone call.” They watched as he stiffly left the room and, the four Junior Avengers sharing a look before trailing after him. Strange promised Rhodey that he’d be back soon before opening a portal into the sanctum and vanishing into the golden opening. 

 

As the others left to get their weapons, Frost sat perfectly still at the table, waiting for them to return. Oliver was alert in his side of their now shared conscious, clearly anxious for the upcoming video. 

“What are we doing?” Oliver asked in his mind. “Why are we just sitting here!” 

“We have nothing else to do,” Frost replied calmly. 

“We could put some nicer clothes on,” Oliver offered.” 

“What do you mean, we look fine,” Frost shot back. “It’s not like we have a uniform.” As he said it Rhodey shot up. 

“Shit! I forgot to tell you, Tony has a suit for you. It’s just a prototype, but you might as well wear it for the video,” the team leader said. “Sorry, I was supposed to tell you this morning, but then the message came in and everything was so busy after that. 

“It is no problem. Thank you, Colonel,” Frost said in his strangely formal fashion. As he headed down to the lab his white hair slowly began to fade into brown, and his right eye turned back to hazel until Oliver was the dominant consciousness when they reached the lab. 

“Oliver! You’re here!” Riri said upon seeing him standing in the doorway. “I’m guessing you’re here for your suit? Mr. Stark let Harley, Peter, and I work on it while Kamala was hanging out with Carol,” she explained proudly. The suit itself was made out of the same thick, armored material as Natasha’s new suit. On the right shoulder was the small Avengers ‘A’ that now donned all of their costumes and the belt had a gun holster along with six throwing knives, four of which were covered small, intricate wires. 

“They shoot electricity, like the Widow Bites,” Riri explained. They also come back to you like Cap’s shield. The suit was a dark brown, with the details such as pockets armor being black, along with the large pentagram that was emblazoned on the back. The pentagram had been the symbol attached to him and the rest of his group of Hydra assassins when they were still at large by both S.H.I.E.L.D and the government. As he was the only one left, he had taken on the symbol himself. 

“It also shifts based on which one of you is in control while wearing it,” Harley said coming up beside Riri. “Tap the center of the Pentagram,” he instructed. Oliver reached out and tapped the middle only to jump back as the suit began to change. White crawled over the brown and the black turned into dark blue. The Pentagram slowly shifted into what looked to be a five tipped snowflake. 

“I- thank you,” he said, not knowing what else to say. 

“No problem, now why don’t you go and put it on so we can get this nightmare started?” Tony said, coming over in full Ironman armor. That goes for you two as well,” he said to Harley and Riri. 

“Peter and Kamala are already dressed.” Oliver followed them two the dressing area with his new suit and spent at least five minutes looking at himself in the mirror. 

“Are you going to keep gaping at yourself, or can we get going,” Frost asked in annoyance. 

“Don’t you wanna see your version?” Oliver asked quickly. There was a moment of silence from Frost’s part before he finally spoke. 

“You’re stalling.” 

“Am not,” Oliver shot back, once again, a few beats to quick. 

“Yes, you are. You don’t want to do the video. Why camera shy?” the spirit teased. 

“No, I just- I don’t want to be one something that Captain America is going to see. I mean everyone is so focused on the Siberia and accords part of it, but he’s still the one that brought that bridge down. I died! I can’t just forget that part!” Oliver said, voice shaking slightly. There was another pause and then,

“I’ll do the video.”

“What?” 

“I said, I’ll do the video. I can take over and wear the Frost uniform, and you can watch from the subconscious. Given that CNN aired our meeting with the accords council, I’m guessing that the rogues already know about us. It won’t be a problem,” Frost said. Oliver nodded. 

“Thank you.” 

 

Wanda sat curled on the couch beside Sam and Bucky. Steve was sitting on Bucky’s other side, and Clint was Steve’s left. Wanda didn’t think that she’d seen the super soldier so happy as the moment that Bucky had walked through the door of their temporary home, fully awake and ready to start a normal life. Wanda had smiled, her previous anger with Steve forgotten as she saw how genuinely happy he was to have his best friend back. This is what we were working for, she told herself. This was worth it.   
That happiness had quickly dissipated when Bucky started talking politics. It seemed that he shared Wanda’s sentiments about not getting a pardon. He had told Steve that he was a fool for trying to wait out the government on something like this and that he should have taken a deal like Scott and Natasha. They had argued back and forth with Wanda, Clint, and Sam interjecting at various areas until finally Steve compromised and agreed to open talks up with the accords council. The first few messages had been sent and received rather quickly, but now there was radio silence from the other end. 

“I told you, you shouldn’t have used the term ‘pardon’,” Sam said. “They’ll take it the wrong way.” 

“They’re probably just in a huge meeting trying to decide what to do. It’s the accords council, we can’t expect these things to go quickly,” Steve responded, the jab at the oh-so-hated documents excruciatingly obvious. 

“Or they've just decided that we aren't worth their time anymore,” Wanda offered bitterly. Her mind seemed to be at war with itself. While she didn’t agree with Steve as much as she had before, she was still quite bitter about how Stark had forced her to stay in the tower and had locked them in the raft. 

“Of course not,” Steve assured her. At this point, his assurances were barely worth anything in her eyes. She missed how Natasha wouldn’t make false statements just to try to make them feel secure. If their odds were bad, then she’d let them know. Scott would have cracked some sort of joke and made them all forget their troubles for a moment had he stuck around. Wanda hadn’t known him for long, but she found his dry humor and wit amusing. 

“Quiet,” Bucky said, successfully shutting down one of Steve’s ‘inspirational’ monologues. “We’re getting a transmission,” he explained. They all looked up at the computer to see that Bucky was indeed correct. Sam reached forward and hit the accept button.   
“It’s a video,” Clint stated in surprise. They saw that the archer was correct. The screen was frozen with a small black arrow in the middle, an open invitation to play the recording. Sam reached forward again and hit the arrow. 

The video opened in a lit conference room, displaying all the Avengers, Junior Avengers, and who the rogues took to be the Defenders all sitting around a large, rectangular table. All were wearing their uniforms and had their weapons on them. Iron Man was at the head flanked by the second Ironman who had yet to release his own alias but had now colored his suit silver and green, and War Machine. All the heroes with masks were wearing them. 

“That’s Frost,” CLint noted. “Looks like Stark made him a suit.” 

“And there’s Nat,” Steve added. “Is that Captain Marvel?” he asked no one in particular upon seeing Carol at the head of the table. Sam looked like he was about to respond when Carol stood up, successfully silencing the group. 

“Rogue Avengers,” she began, making Steve flinch. Why didn’t these people understand that he was just doing what was right? “My name is Captain Marvel, one of the two current team leaders of the Avengers Initiative.” Steve’s eyes narrowed. He was the team leader of the Avengers. The only one. 

“Guess Stark couldn’t find any single person good enough to replace you,” Clint snorted. No one else responded. They all focused back on the screen when Captain Marvel began to speak again. 

“It has come to the attention of the Avengers, Junior Avengers, and the Defenders that you have reached out to the accords council and are currently attempting to come to some sort of agreement. We are currently unsure of what kind of agreement is because of the constantly changing phrases that you choose to use. In some, you seem to be angling for a full pardon while in others you seem more interested in re-negotiating the offered plea deals that were accepted by the Ant-man, and Black Widow.” 

“Steve, I thought we agreed that there would be no pardons,” Bucky said, turning to face the other super soldier. 

“You don’t know that, Buck,” Steve said with a small smile. “I know you’re used to seeing the worst in people and Stark has given you no reason to trust him, but he’ll come around.” 

“No, he won’t,” Wanda said, to quiet for anyone to hear. She had a feeling she wasn’t the only one who had reached that conclusion though. Sam was looking pretty glum as well. They all turned their attention back to Captain Marvel and the other Avengers. 

“We would like to offer you some advice. It is pretty clear that you are trying to stand as a united front, but are having some differing opinions on what your end goal is. If you feel that personally, you would do better with a plea deal than contact us. You know how. We can work something out privately. The council has already agreed to give you safe passage back to the states if you accept a deal,” she said. The rogues all knew that by ‘the council’ she meant T’Challa. 

“We would also like to recommend taking the plea deal that is currently being offered. I have personally read over the deal multiple times with multiple lawyers who all agree that it is very generous and, quite frankly, far more than you deserve. All of your charges in the US would be dropped along with all the damages done in the airport and tunnel fights,” she said. They noticed Frost flinch at the mention of the tunnel tight, but didn’t comment on it. 

“You would also all be considered for the New Avengers Initiative and would be provided a place to stay until you were either accepted as an Avenger or found other accommodations. Both options are better than a prison,” Captain Marvel continued. Wanda scoffed. Hell would be better than the raft. 

“Who does she think she is!” Clint growled. “We won’t be ‘considered for the Avengers Initiative’, we’re Avengers!” 

“SHHH!” Bucky whisper yelled, fed up with their talking. “Rhodes is about to start talking,” he growled. The group fell silent to listen. Captain Marvel sat down and nodded to Rhodes who flipped back his face mask to speak. 

“So that’s what will happen if you accept the plea deal. Now I’ll tell you about what happens if you don’t. You can keep on chilling where ever you’re chilling, a location that I know, by the way, but eventually, you will be found. You will then be taken in by the government and tried for all of your crimes. I know you seem to be counting on the goodwill of Tony Stark to save your asses yet again, but as you like to forget, he doesn’t run the world. He has no control over the legal system or the judiciary system. If you’re condemned to prison for the rest of your lives, then so be it. That’s the realistic situation that you would find yourselves in. Now let's hop over to the fantasy world that one of you, I’m sure I know who has created. In this reality you seem to expect to be granted a full pardon, and gain back your fully active Avengers status’. So as that seems to be the hope you’re all clinging onto, I’m going to tell you what would happen should the accords council decide to take that route, which I seriously doubt they will.  
You would indeed be back in the compound and have your status, but the world won’t forget. The people who lost loved ones to your tunnel chase will still curse your names. The people who died because of you will still be dead. My legs still won’t be able to function without a machine, and my best friend will still have been left, half dead in a frozen wasteland. You can come back, but we will never accept you. The world will never accept you. You will be paying for your own gear, your own room, and board, and you will under no terms be permitted to see anyone who does not wish to see you,” he said, leaving no room for doubt as to who that person was. 

“I would also like to make clear,” Rhodey said, voice softer and less menacing this time, “That Bucky Barnes currently has a different pardon option if he wishes to accept it. If he willingly returns to the states to get treated by Stark Industries BARF technologies under the supervision of Mr. Stark and a group of highly trained doctors from all over the world, than all of his crimes will be erased, and he will be eligible for the Avengers Initiative.” With that Rhodey sat down and the camera moved over all of them before cutting out. 

“Well, that was… enlightening,” Sam said.

“Bullshit, more like it,” Clint grumbled, earning a light sleep on the shoulder from Wanda. Bucky said nothing, clearly considering the deal being offered to him by the council. Steve looked furiously at the screen. 

“they’re threatening Bucky!” he growled in outrage. 

“They’re threatening- what?” Sam asked in disbelief. “How the hell did you get a threat on Bucky’s life out of that?” 

“Didn’t you hear? They want Bucky’s treatment to be overseen by Stark, who else could be behind that but him! He just wants to use his tech to mess with Bucky’s head again!” Steve raged. “I’m sorry I’ll put up with a lot, but this is too far.”

“Stevie, I don’t think-” 

“No, you don’t know him as I do. He’s tried to kill you before, he’ll do it again,” Steve interrupted. “None of you are to take that deal, it’s just a way to throw you all back on the raft,” Steve ordered. Wanda’s eyes widened, he had never ordered them like that before. She knew that it had been her that Carol was referring to when she had said that individuals could make privet deals. She was the one with Vision’s phone. She could contact him if she wanted to. As Sam and Steve began to argue once more she slipped back to her room and pulled the phone out from behind her headboard. 

“Viz, I hope you’re alright,” she texted, adding onto their rapidly growing chat. 

“Of course, it is you who I am worried about,” he replied almost immediately. 

“I am okay,” she replied. “Steve thinks that the plea deals are a trap,” she added after a moment. “I think that he’s still going to try to get a pardon. He seems to think that if we come back than the other Avengers will be deemed unnecessary. I am worried for him,” she admits. There was silence for a moment before Vision replied. 

“I implore you to consider returning. I assure you that the plea deals are not traps and that you will not have to have your powers suppressed again on the raft. I’m sure that you would be accepted into the Avengers Initiative so long as you agree to get proper training for your powers. Dr. Strange has schools set up all over the world, so that wouldn’t be a problem.” Wanda smiled sadly. She missed Vision, but she couldn’t go back. Not now anyway. She was about to reply when she heard a floorboard creak and stood up to see Steve standing in the doorway, a disappointed expression on his face and his hand outstretched for the phone. 

“No, I’m not- I promise I’m not-” Wanda stammered, scarlet beginning to swirl around her hands as if sensing her fear. 

“Phone. Now,” Steve demanded softly, leaving no room for disagreement. Wanda considered running but knew that Steve was both faster, stronger, and more experienced than herself. She could easily use her powers to fight him off, but she didn’t want to hurt him. She didn’t have any other options. With shaking hands, she handed him the phone. He didn’t look angry, just disappointed. Like a parent after catching their child breaking a rule. 

Steve shook his head and left the room. Wanda stared at the spot where he’d stood, uncontrollable red gathering in her hands, before letting out a scream of anger and watching as her power shot around the room. Her eyes began to glitter a deep ruby before she forced herself to calm down. She would gain nothing from destroying the room that T’Challa had so kindly provided for her. Her anger was not with Wakanda or it’s king.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have a good day!


	6. Dispersion: The Ultimatum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vision is scared for Wanda, Wanda is questioning everything, the Avengers make a move, and T'Challa feels very guilty about Siberia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So I know I'm posting twice in one day, but it's to make up for not posting anything yesterday. Hope you enjoy!

“Any reply to the video?” Natasha asked. She was sitting on the common room couch beside Spider-man and the Iron Savior, as the next Ironman had taken to calling himself. Tony was sitting in the chair across from her with Stephen standing beside him and Oliver behind him by the large window. 

“Not yet. If our predictions are correct, than they are most likely fighting about what to do,” Tony replied. 

“And you’re sure that’s how it’s going to turn out?” Natasha asked uncertainty. From what she’d seen of Steve Rogers, he was very loyal to his teammates. His family. 

“I know you were always dazzled by the whole ‘Captain America’ speil, but I took the time to really look at him and his ‘team dynamic’. I’ve seen the subtle cracks in his little family. They were kept covered up as we never really had to survive together and always had things to keep us busy along with an image to keep up, but they were there. With all the pressure we’ve been putting on them along with the already differing views that they let slip in their previous messages, they’ll be split in no time,” Tony explained. 

“You’ve certainly put a lot of thought into this,” she said. Tony smiled bitterly. 

“Well, I didn’t do it alone. Zemo’s been a big help.” Natasha tilted her head and looked at him curiously. Throughout her years of knowing Tony Stark, she had seen many different sides of him. After every great tragedy, there was was a corresponding shift in the genius’ personality. She had seen him close himself off, and she’d seen him go all out. She’d seen anxiety, depression, and panic attacks. Never though, had she seen this. Whatever it was. No matter how much she observed him, she could not tell what this shift was. He seemed colder somehow. Like he’d absorbed the frostbite and hypothermia into him and made it into a shield around his heart. At first, she thought that that was it, but soon her hypothesis was proven wrong. 

She had seen him with Spider-man, the Iron Savior, Ironheart, and Miss Marvel. Saw how he laughed and let them explore in his lab. She saw how nervous he got when they went on Junior Avenger missions and fought more minor but still dangerous threats. She saw how he constantly updated and checked Rhodey’s legs, and the care he put into Oliver and Frost’s suit. When she saw this, she thought that maybe she was wrong and he had gotten warmer. Perhaps he had taken all the heat of his rage and the burning flames of betrayal and turned them into a fire inside of his heart that he used to fuel his love for those around him. The shield of ice was cold, but Natasha found that the fire it sheltered was worth the freeze. She was only part of the way through, and she knew that it was no less than she deserved. She just hoped that one day she would be able to get back to the flames. Steve, she knew, would never get there again. He had been there before, they all had, and looking back she realized how much they’d taken that for granted. Steve, she thought, probably still didn’t realize how much he’d taken it for granted. He would, though. Once he got back here, one way or another, he would feel the freezing chill of the cold that Tony had gained in Siberia. Perhaps even then he wouldn’t. Natasha wasn’t sure. She had thought she’d known Steve well, but now she thought of him as a stranger. 

“So, do you think that Wanda will take the deal?” Iron Savior asked. “I mean, it’s clearly better than being arrested, and Vision said that he’s been texting with her, so clearly she misses him.” 

“That and she’d get free training,” Spider-man added. His mask had pulled up to his nose so that he could eat a hot dog that he’d been given by a thankful stand owner after he’d webbed up some robbers. 

“Yes, I’ve already told Wong about her, and he agreed to train her. I warned him that it would be hard and that her temperament is even worse than mine, but he said he was up for it. It might benefit us to introduce her to Clea as well, they might get along,” Stephen explained. “The key thing here is trust. It depends on who she finds more trustworthy, her current playmates, or the New Avengers.” There was a stretch of silence before Spider-man coughed and stood up. 

“If it’s trust we’re going for then I guess… maybe I should…” he was shaking slightly and stammering over his words like he used to whenever he was talking to Tony. 

“Kid, you all good?” Tony asked, raising an eyebrow. Spider-man stood stock still for a moment before ripping off his mask and throwing it down quickly. 

“My name is Peter Parker, and I’m from Queens,” he said quickly. The other’s looked shocked while Natasha smiled slightly. Trust. He was building trust. 

“Nice to meet you, Peter, I’m Natasha,” she said, reaching out a hand to shake his. Next IRon Savior rose and flipped back his helmet. 

“Hey, I’m Harley. Harley Keener,” he introduced himself, shaking her hand as well. 

“Well, now we’re all gonna have to introduce ourselves aren't we,” Ironheart and Miss Marvel said as they came in from the kitchen. The Ironheart mask slowly slid away from Riri’s face as Kamala took off her own. 

“I’m Riri Williams, also known as the Ironheart.” 

“And I’m Kamala Khan, Miss Marvel!” Kamala said with a grin. 

“There,” Peter said, seemingly pleased with himself. “Now we trust each other. We should probably introduce ourselves to Hope, Carol, and the Defenders as well,” he added. 

“We can have an official reveal at the next meeting,” Tony decided. “That was a brave thing to do kid. Very mature.” Peter beamed and Natasha had to cover up a laugh. She realized then that she had never laughed as much as she had since her return to the compound and integration into the New Avengers. 

“Well I’d say that this calls for a celebration,” Tony was saying. “I can get some dinner reservations at this new Thai place-” he never got to finish because just then Vision phased through the wall, a look of panic on his usually composed face. 

“Vision! What’s wrong?” Tony asked, springing to his feet. The happy atmosphere in the room vanished as they all realized that this was something serious. 

“It’s Wanda, I think she’s in danger,” the android sad hurriedly. “I was texting with her about the video, she seemed like she was considering it. It was a completely normal conversation but then she suddenly just stopped responding. I thought perhaps someone had just come into her room and she was forced to hide the phone, but it’s been three hours now, and she has yet to text me again. I’ve tried to check in three times and have not received a response. To the best of my knowledge, she hasn’t read any of them.” 

“You’re sure?” Natasha asked. 

“Positive. she’s never blown me off, even before she was considering the deal.” Tony nodded a few times, seeming to be debating something in his head before grabbing his phone. 

“We’re calling an Avengers meeting and inviting T’Challa. We can’t just invade Wakanda, it would break the accords. If T’challa invites us in under the rouse that he just discovered the rogues hiding there than that’s another story.” The others nodded and Peter and Harley shared a nervous look. 

“You’re saying that we’re gonna fight Captain America?” Kamala asked warily. 

“If it comes to that, you think you can handle it?” Tony asked, watching the Junior Avengers carefully. 

“Yup!” Peter answered quickly. “I mean, I’ve fought him before…” he trailed off. 

“Yeah, and had a building dropped on you. I think you guys can sit this one out for now. If we need the Junior Avengers, we’ll call you in,” Tony assured them. “How long do you think it will take T’Challa to get here?” Tony asked, turning to Natasha. 

“With his tech? An hour tops,” she said. Tony nodded his approval. 

“Pepper’s on the phone with him now,” the hero said, checking his messages. She’s texting me the results now. He says he’ll come and talk with us. Call all the Avengers in, tell them that while this isn’t yet an emergency, it’s not an optional training exercise either. We may have a hostage situation on our hands, and we’re going to need it solved as soon as possible. While Rogers can physically overpower her, Wanda could easily use her powers to get out which could result in catastrophic damages to Wakanda. We need to assume that it is the worst case scenario and that she is being held against her will until T’Challa can get us some answers,” Tony ordered. 

 

Steve looked at the phone he had confiscated from Wanda. He had tried multiple times to open it and see what she had been texting Vision about, but whenever he tried a swirl of red would encase his hand and stop him. At first, he had been worried that she would be able to use her powers to continue her conversation with the android, but he soon ruled that out when he heard her scream of anger. She wouldn’t have lost control like that had she gotten her way. Steve furrowed his brow as his attempts to open the phone were once again blocked. He was only trying to protect her, but she just wasn’t seeing that. Steve knew that Vision was only texting her under Stark’s orders if it was even Vision texting her at all.   
Steve tried, but he couldn’t seem to picture Wanda betraying them. She had always liked Steve far better than Stark and hadn’t agreed with the accords from the Stark. He knew that Carol had been speaking directly to Wanda when she had mentioned making privet deals, and it had annoyed Steve to no end that they thought they could manipulate her that way. It made finding out that they had succeeded all the harder to handle. 

“Hey Steve, is Wanda okay? I haven’t seen her all day,” Sam said as he and Clint came into the common room. Steve wordlessly held out the phone for the two to look at. 

“She was texting Vision on it after the video. I think she was trying to do as Carol said and make some sort of deal. I can’t believe that Stark would manipulate her like that!” Steve exclaimed angrily. 

“Uh… are we sure that’s what was happening?” Sam asked as he eyed the phone. “I mean, she’d already been texting with Vision.” And she gave up the phone, didn’t she? So clearly she’s still on our side.” Steve gave an uncommitted half shrug and Sam’s eyes narrowed. “She did give up the phone, right? Or did you just take it without asking questions,” he demanded. Steve sighed. 

“She was being manipulated by Stark, I couldn’t just let her walk into this blind! She’s just a kid Sam, she doesn’t know what she’s doing!” 

“No, she’s not,” Sam stated calmly. “Steve, she is a grown ass adult and even if she weren’t, she would still be held responsible for her actions! A thirty-year-old committing murder is no different than a thirteen-year-old doing the same thing. You seem to be under the impression that she is helpless without your leadership, but that is so far removed from the truth that I can’t even begin to explain it to you. She knows damn well what she’s doing it, and you have no business pretending otherwise,” the hero said fiercely. He took a few calming breaths before reaching out a hand. 

“Give me the phone,” he said in a tired voice. 

“What?” Steve asked. 

“Give me the phone, it’s Wanda’s.”   
“No!” Steve said angrily. “Why can’t any of you see that she’s in danger! We can’t let her make a deal with them!” 

“We don’t even know if she wanted to make a deal, Steve! She could have just been texting her friend!” Sam snarled, making a grab for the phone. Before Steve could even think about what he was doing, he had smashed the phone in his fist. They all watched in shock as pieces of mangled metal and shards of the sim card rained down on the floor. 

“Great. Very mature,” Sam said. With that, he turned on his tail and walked away leaving Clint and Steve standing in silence. 

Wanda let tears flow down her face as she felt the phone shatter through the magic she had around it, and heard Sam and Steve yelling at each other. Had Bucky been there perhaps he could have stopped the fight before it started, but the soldier was currently in Shuri’s lab with some scientists doing some more tests. Wanda felt her rage boil beneath her skin and she silently slipped out of her room and down the hall. She moved silently through the house until she reached Steve’s room which was standing empty with the door ajar. One gesture of her hands and a small tendril of red was snaking across the floor and two his bed. It slipped under the mattress and, after a few minutes of searching, produced a small burn phone. 

“By-by Sharon,” Wanda whispered as the phone disintegrated. With that, she slipped silently back to her own room, unsurprised to find Steve standing in front of her door. 

“Wanda, we need to talk,” he said. 

“Out of my way,” she demanded. She stared straight ahead and refused to meet the super soldier's eyes. She didn’t want to see the ‘kindness’ and ‘understanding’ that she was sure she would find. She felt like she was finally seeing clearly, and she didn’t want to let Steve convince her otherwise. 

“Wanda…” he began only to find his feet leaving the ground. He watched her eyes glittered like rubies as she lifted him up with her magic, and moved him out of the way of the door. Only once she was safely inside with the deadbolt locked sis she put him down. 

“Wands, I know you’re angry. You have every right to be. I should have talked to you before taking the phone, and I’m sorry,” Steve said from the other side of the door. “I’m just trying to keep you safe. You need to understand that, I just want what’s best for you.” 

“So did Stark,” she said, her mind jumping back to her fight with Vision at the compound. “If locking me up then was such an atrocity, then what are you doing now?” 

“It’s not the same thing. I’ll give you some time to think, but just know we’re trying to keep you safe. It might not have even been Vision on that phone. You might have been talking directly to Stark, or maybe some random council member.” With that, he walked away. Wanda listened to each of his footfalls until she could tell he was in the common room with the others. She didn’t leave her room even when Sam came to tell her that they were having dinner. She wasn’t sure what to think anymore. 

 

The Avengers all sat around the conference table in full gear. The Junior Avengers had been sent back home if they lived nearby, or to their rooms in the compound if they did not. Tony said that they were not going to be a part of this mission, so there was no reason for them to be at the meeting with T’Challa. The king himself was seated at the other end of the table, two of the Dora Milaje standing behind him on either side. 

“Avengers, you requested my presence?” he said, nodding to everyone at the table. 

“Yes, your majesty-” Carol began only for him to hold up a hand. 

“Please, call me T’Challa,” he said with a smile. 

“Alright then T’Challa, as you know a video was recently sent to the rogue Avengers,” she stated. T’Challa’s expression became more grave at the mention of the fugitives he was currently harboring, but he did not interrupt again. “In that video, we told them that if one of them disagreed with trying for a pardon and would rather go for a plea deal, they were welcome to communicate directly with us and organize an alternate deal using a burn phone that Vision gave Wanda through you.” 

“Yes, I remember giving Wanda this phone,” T’Challa said. 

“Well, Wanda was texting Vision after the video. He says that they were talking and she seemed more inclined to listen to the New Avengers when suddenly she stopped responding. He gave her approximately one hour before messaging again this time stating his concern. She once again did not answer. He texted her seven times in the past day, and she has not responded to any of his messages. Then, about ten minutes ago when he tried to reach out to her once more, the phone gave him an error message saying that the phone he was trying to reach was offline. We have come to the conclusion that Wanda could be being held by the others against her will. We were wondering in you would cooperate with an extraction of the rogue Avengers from Wakanda,” Carol concluded.   
T’Challa could tell why they had chosen her as one of their team leaders. She was very calm and collected, not letting a single emotion show on her face as she explained what had occured in such detail that she could have been testifying in court. 

“Is this true?” T’Challa asked, turning to where Vision was sitting beside Tony. The android looked up at him with troubled eyes and nodded once. 

“I have not heard from her since.” T’Challa nodded and looked back at the two Dora behind him, both of whom looked like they agreed with what Vision said. 

“Have any of the other Dora Milaje said anything about high tempers at the house?” he asked in isiXhosa. 

“Yes, my king. There have been reports of yelling and arguments. The White Wolf also told the princess that he was glad to be away from the other outsiders as the tension was highly stressful. It is why she is pretending to still be running tests.” 

“What about the Scarlet Witch, any sign of her?” he asked. 

“She has not left the house, but one of the guards did claim to see a flash of red in her window. Perhaps an angry outburst,” the other Dora answered, still using isiXhosa. T’Challa nodded and mulled over this new information. He knew that it would be best to get rid of the rogues as soon as possible, but he knew that he would certainly be thrown under the bus by Rogers and his team should they be investigated. The New Avengers had already made it clear that they would be willing to lie and say that T’Challa had not known that the rogues were staying in Wakanda, but he had a feeling that the rogues themselves would not. He took a deep breath and sighed. 

“I believe that there is reasonable cause to bring them in if only to ensure that Ms. Maximoff is safe. I fear that they will end up bringing harm to Wakanda though, as they would be able to provide ample evidence that I gave them sanctuary when the whole world wanted them tried. If you could allow me to talk to them and see if I can arrange a new plea deal, then I believe that this could work,” T’Challa eventually replied. 

“What would this new plea deal entail?” Rhodey asked carefully. 

“Most likely what the current one would already give them, except this one ensures the safety of Wakanda and its reputation,” T’Challa replied. Rhodey looked around at the others who nodded their agreement. 

“That sounds fair. You have twenty-four hours before the New Avengers arrive to take them back to the states. Those who agree to a plea deal will be taken to the accords council. Those who do not will be put in a new version of the raft until their trials,” Rhosey said. T’Challa nodded and stood. 

“I believe that our business here is done if that is all you wish to discuss,” he said to the other. They all nodded and everyone began to file out. Tony stood and prepared to leave only to be stopped by T’Challa. “Mr. Stark, I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time,” he said. Tony looked around before nodding and letting T’Challa lead him a bit further away from the rest of the group. 

“Alright, what do you need?” he asked the king who only shook his head. 

“I do not need anything more from you, keeping my secret has been more than enough. I only wanted to apologize. Had I know how badly the suit was damaged, I never would have left you in the bunker. I was told by Captain Rogers that you were fine and that I should not worry, but I should not have listened. I am partly responsible for what happened, and for that I am sorry,” he said, bowing his head. Tony wasn’t sure what to say. He’d never had someone actually apologize for totally screwing him over before. 

“It’s fine I guess. I mean, we wouldn’t have met Frost and Oliver would have still been dead had you not, so it all ended up fine in the end!” Tony said, trying to lighten the mood. 

“It is most certainly not fine,” T’Challa said, shock flashing in his eyes. “You almost died. Had you not made it out of that bunker the world would be mourning the death of it’s best defender. I assure you that that is a day I don’t ever want to have to see,” the king said. “I have decided that in order to make up for my past mistakes, I am going to submit my application to the council to join the Avengers, and let them tri me for my crime in Siberia.” 

“WHAT!” Tony shouted before remembering to lower his voice. “T’Challa, you can’t be serious. The King of Wakanda being tried for something like that, do you know how bad that would look?” 

“That is exactly why I must do it. What I did was not right, and I must face justice,” he replied stubbornly. 

“I won’t testify against you,” Tony decided. 

“You won’t need to. I plan n pleading guilty. 

“They’ll find you innocent. Look, you didn’t know. If they’re willing to find Barnes innocent of what he did to the Oliver in the tunnel then they’ll definitely let you off the hook for something you had no control over. You don’t have to put yourself through this. Helping the Avengers and submitting your application is enough.” T’Challa just smiled and shook his head. 

“You are quite an interesting man, Mr. Stark. I see why they follow you.” With that, the king left, and Tony was alone in the room once more. 

 

Bucky Barnes was brought back to the house flanked by four of the Dora Milaje. They looked quite intimidating, but Okoye had assured him that they would not hurt him unless he attacked first. She had come to like the strange super soldier and thought that he deserved better than to be given the ultimatum he was about to get.   
When he got inside the house he found everyone sitting on the couch of the common room except for Wanda, who was in the opposite chair. There were two guards in every corner. 

“Stevie, what’s going on?” Bucky asked, slowly sitting down. 

“The Avengers Initiative and accords council have a valid reason to believe that you are currently holding Ms. Maximoff against her will. As the repercussions of this could result in loss of human life and damage to Wakanda, they have decided that they will act upon this information. You have twenty-four hours to wither negotiate a plea deal, or be arrested by the New Avengers,” Okoye said. T’Challa had originally been planning on telling them, but Okoye had insisted that she get to deliver the news. While she liked Bucky, Roger’s other friends were a different story. 

“What!” Clint yelled in outrage. “We’re not holding her captive, she’s right there!” he gestured wildly to Wanda who was looking around with wide eyes. 

“I’m sorry Mr. Barton, but the council has already approved the decision to send in the New Avengers. They tend to be very quick about these sorts of things,” she said with a slight smirk. Rogers looked like he was about to speak until she turned her eyes towards him. She thought she could see his spirit withering up under her gaze. 

“T’Challa will be here in twenty minutes to discuss plea options with you all. I do suggest you listen to what he says, or you may find yourselves back under water,” she said. Her smile was menacing as she stalked back out of the house.


	7. Dispersion: Extraction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rogues are brought back to the states, Wanda meets Strange in person, Tony is afraid, and the Junior Avengers plan on protecting their mentors in a way that is sure to make Steve mad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So this is the last part of the 'Dispersion' section of the story. From here on out the chapters will be under 'Resurrection'. A few things to note about this chapter. 
> 
> 1\. I have never actually read a comic in which JOCASTA is in/mentioned, so I am going purely off of her role in Marvel: Future Fight. It's not a very large part that she plays, but I just really wanted her there to bother Steve.

Wanda watched Steve pace back and forth, his brow furrowed. T’Challa had arrived twenty minutes previously and had been talking to them each one at a time. So far, he had only spoken with Bucky who was still in there now. This was her fault, Wanda realized. If she hadn’t texted Vision, this wouldn’t be happening.

“Steve-” 

“Don’t. You didn’t mean for this to happen,” Steve began, “but it’s still happening because of you. I’m going to need a bit of time before i can talk to you.” Wanda closed her mouth and nodded in shame. 

“Hey, he’s just upset. This wasn’t your fault, it’s Stark wanting to be able to control us again,” Clint said, putting a consoling arm around her. “So long as we agree to their terms, everything will be fine,” he assured her. Just then Steve stopped walked and leaned his arm against the window, shaking his head in exasperation. 

“We can’t let ourselves be made into slaves for corrupt governments,” he said quietly. “We can’t agree with those terms. We need to leave. Get out of here while we still have the chance. We can-” 

“Steve, we are way beyond that option,” Sam cut him off quietly. “We’ve been beaten, and we need to except that. We’re lucky that they’re even willing to give us plea deals, let alone a chance at being part of the Avengers Initiative.” 

“We don’t ‘deserve a chance’, Steve mimicked, turning back to face them. “We are the Avengers! Without us there are no Avengers!” He looked like he was going to continue but just then the door opened and Bucky came out with T’Challa. Bucky looked calm and collected and T’Challa looked about the same. 

“You have made the right decision,” T’Challa told him. “We will have a plan ready to take you to the accords council in two hours,” the king added. 

“Thank you, T’Challa,” Bucky said, shaking his hand. 

“Bucky, no!” Steve said in horror. 

“I’m sorry Stevie, but this is our best shot. The alternative is not pretty,” the super soldier said. “Besides, I don’t want to run anymore. I just want to pay for my crimes and live the rest of my life,” Bucky said sadly. 

“Ms. Maximoff, I will speak to you next,” T’Challa said. Wanda felt her breath catch as her heart began to beat faster with fear. She knew that T’Challa would be kinder to her than the council would be, but she was still afraid to hear her fate.She took a deep breath and schooled her features. She had seen war. She had seen and caused death and destruction and had fought against Ultron. She could handle one meeting. Wanda stood and walked with her head held high into the room and forced herself not to flinch as the door closed behind her. She sat down in the chair opposite of T’Challa’s desk and watched the king as he sorted through a pile of papers until he pulled out a folder with her name on it. 

“Ms. Maximoff,” he began, “I presume that you know why you’re here.” 

“Yes, I do,” she agreed. T’Challa nodded. 

“Than you can imagine that the repercussions are expected to be quite large. Now you have been given an option. You can either face those repercussions or accept the plea deal being offered to you by the accords council and Avengers Initiative. Should you choose to accept the deal, than all crimes committed during the Civil War will be cleared, and your application will be considered and most likely accepted by the Avengers Initiative under the condition that you accept magical training to better control your powers,” T’Challa explained. 

“I already have control of my powers,” Wanda shot back defensively. T’Challa’s expression darkened and Wanda suddenly understood why Bucky had been so afraid of the man at first. 

“Were that true, my people would not have died in Lagos. I have chosen to forgive that as a tragic accident, but should you refuse training, I will be forced to press charges for the safety of others,” T’Challa warned. Wanda swallowed and nodded quickly. T’Challa’s expression smoothes over and he leaned back in his chair. 

“Now. Should you choose to accept the deal you will be brought back to the accords council with Sergeant Barnes and anyone else who chooses to accept by the New Avengers. There you will be questioned by the council and asked to sign the accords. If you agree to sign the documents, then you will be given your Avengers status back. You will, of course, be confined to the states for three years as were Ms. Romanoff and Mr. Lang, and you will be used as reserves for the most part. You will be housed at the Avengers Compound and your rent will be covered by the Avengers Initiative, but you are expected to cover your own personal expenses such as clothes, beauty products, decor, etcetera,” T’Challa explained. Wanda nodded. It would be difficult to get work being who she was, but she would manage. She could always try getting an online job. 

“Do you agree with all the terms so far?” T’Challa questioned. Wanda took a second to breathe before looking up. 

“I do,” she said. T’Challa smiled at her. 

“Good. There are just a few more minor things that shouldn’t be to much trouble. If you are asked, you are to say that Wakanda gave help to Sergeant Barnes and was planning to bring him to the council once we were sure he was safe to be around. The rest of you came into our country without being noticed, and have been hiding here ever since.” Wanda nodded. 

“That should not be a problem,” she agreed. T’Challa nodded. “Good. Stephen Strange will be in charge of your training, but he will give you a few days to settle in before talking to you about anything. I have met him and found him to be a reasonable man. I assure you that you will be completely safe in his hands,” T’Challa assured her. Wanda smiled slightly. 

“Thank you.” she was escorted back out of the room and saw that Steve was no longer there. Sam gave her a reassuring half smile which she returned as she was lead out of the house. 

“I see you accepted,” Bucky said upon seeing her. 

“I see you did as well,” she returned. “Do you think it was the right thing to do?” 

“You can never really know the right thing to do until you’ve done it. And even then it can be hard to be sure. I think that both options have their flaws, but this is the better of the two. At least we can try to make right. I don’t think that Steve will be too happy though.” 

“Why not?” Wanda asked. 

“Because when I was talking to T’Challa he told me that a part of the pardon was that the United States was demanding Steve stop calling himself ‘Captain America’ and strip the star from his uniform. He’s also been stripped of his title as ‘captain’,” the soldier replied sourly. He was clearly displeased with the nations belittlement of his friend, and Wanda felt her magic pulse through her at the thought of Steve being anything but Captain America. She clenched her fists to keep the magic from manifesting itself into a corporal form though, T’Challa’s words sounding through her mind as a way to keep it in check. 

“He won’t be pleased at all,” Wanda said through gritted teeth. “Do you think he’ll accept?” Bucky seemed to consider for a moment. 

“I think he has to at this point. He has nowhere else to go. Even if he did, half of his team would be gone. I think that Sam is going to agree with no problem, and I’m pretty sure that Clint will if it means that he can see his family again. Steve’ll follow suit. He has to,” Bucky explained. Wanda nodded. While Steve could be incredibly stubborn, she knew that he wouldn’t abandon his team. It’s the reason she’d chosen to follow him, after all. 

 

Natasha piloted the new quinjet with Scott Lang slumped in the seat beside her. Tony had designed the new quinjet to be larger to account for the growing ranks of the Avengers, but it was currently going to be used to transport the rogues back to the states. It had been Natasha’s idea to bring Scott along. She figured that the more of ‘team cap’ was shown on the accords side, the more rogues would switch sides. 

Behind her was Wasp, Vision, War Machine, and Frost. Oliver had decided that it would not be beneficial for him to see either Steve or Bucky, and so Frost had taken complete control over their shared conscious for the first time since he had begun possessing Oliver. Bright gold flashes from outside told Natasha that Captain Marvel was having no problem keeping up with the ship, and the quiet humming of magic alerted her to the presence of Dr. Strange. 

“Alright, we’ll be landing in twenty minutes,” she said into the coms so that everyone could hear her.” 

“Copy that,” Carol replied. She did one more lap around the ship before landing on the roof with a quiet thud. The others put their masks back on and stood up as the quinjet began to descend. There were a few gasps of surprise when they burst through the barrier and into Wakanda, but that was the only sound to be heard as they continued their descent towards the ground where T’Challa and the rogues were waiting. 

Natasha was the first one off the ship and was greeted by Okoye. The two women had not talked much during Natasha’s time in Wakanda but had gotten along the few times that they had. 

“Okoye, it is good to see you again. If only the circumstances were a bit kinder,” Natasha said. 

“Yes, but I believe that they are better circumstances than the alternative, “the warrior replied. Natasha smiled slightly at that. They could be a lot worse. The other Avengers filed off of the quinjet and Carol leaped gracefully down from the top to stand beside Natasha. 

“They are in here,” Okoye said as she surveyed the assembled group. Her eyes rested on Frost for a moment before she turned and led them towards the house that Natasha remembered staying in when she had still been an outlaw. As they walked she fell in line beside Frost. 

“How does she know you?” she asked. 

“She doesn’t. I believe that she recognizes Oliver’s face, though. For a time Hydra was set on stealing vibranium and wanted to know how much Wakanda really had. They sent Oliver in as a spy, but he didn’t find anything. He’s probably still on Wakanda’s watch list,” Frost explained. Natasha nodded and watched as the group’s positioning slowly shifted as they walked. Soon Rhodey and Carol were the two at the head and the others were spread only a few feet behind them. It had all just sort of happened without anyone thinking about it. It was something that Natasha had come to expect from her new team. Something that she had never witnessed with her old one. 

Okoye knocked twice on the door to the house, and a Dora inside opened it and let them in. Natasha could see Wanda and Sam from where she sat, but a wall cut the others off from her view. 

“Scott, Vision, Natasha, Strange, you’re with Rhodes and I. Everyone else, wait out here for now,” Carol ordered. They nodded and split into their respective groups. 

“They’re right here,” Okoye said with an expression of distaste as she spoke about the rogues. They all walked slowly into the common room where the rogues were waiting. Wanda’s eyes lit up upon seeing Vision, and a hopeful smile flitted across her face before a sharp look from Steve made her put her head back down. 

“Mr. Rogers,” War Machine greeted with a nod. 

“Rhodey, it’s good to see you,” Steve said. The sentiment was not returned. 

“Colonel Rhodes, it is good to see you,” T’Challa said as he stepped out of an office area and shook Rhodey’s hand as the War Machine mask was flipped back. 

“It’s good to see you too,” Rhodey responded. “Hope they haven't been giving you much trouble,” he said with a jerk of his head in the direction of the rogues. They had rehearsed the entire conversation over the phone so that it would seem as though no one had known that the rogues were there. 

“No, they were quiet under the radar. So much so that they were able to hide from our technology,” T’Challa said looking vaguely troubled. He was a good liar. “Is Mr. Stark not here?” he asked, looking around at the assembled heroes. 

“No, something came up last minute. He was forced to attend a board meeting instead,” Stephen said, bowing to the king. T’Challa laughed and a few of the Dora Milaje snickered as well. 

“We do not do that here,” he stated. “Please, just call me T’Challa.” 

“What do you mean Tony’s not here,” Steve said, speaking for the first time since the New Avengers had arrived. 

“I mean he is not currently at the same location that we are,” Stephen said. A muscle jumped in Steve’s jaw, but he remained quiet. “Ms. Maximoff,” Stephen said, turning to the young witch. “My name is Dr. Stephen Strange, sorcerer supreme. It is a pleasure to meet you,” he said as he held out his hand in greeting. She cautiously took it, and Stephen felt a gentle push at the shields he had around his mind. He felt a tick of annoyance at her bold attempt to enter his mind but pushed it down. Tony had warned him to be courteous as to avoid her lashing out. Apparently, she could get very defensive when told not to abuse her powers. 

“I’m sorry, but I must ask you to refrain from doing that,” he requested. Her eyes widened as if not used to people realizing when her powers were in use, and Stephen felt the pressure on his shields disappear. 

“You can’t control her like that, her magic is a part of her!” Steve said in outrage. Stephen turned to face Steve with an expression of cold indifference.

“When Ms. Maximoff agreed to her plea deal, one of the requirements was that she be given proper training to control her abilities. She is clearly willing to honor that request, and I don’t see why you should have any control over that. Not to mention the fact that while she is unaware of the fact, attempting to break into someone else's mind without permission is considered a crime in all of the sanctums,” he said before turning back to Wanda who was watching the display with wide eyes. 

“Once you get back to the compound I’ll give you a few days to settle in and find your way around before we start with your training. You’ll find a sling ring on your bed when you get back. Please bring it with you on the first day,” he instructed. Wanda nodded her agreement but said nothing. 

“Alright, there’s no reason to impose on the good people of Wakanda any longer,” Frost said taking a step forward. “We should start getting everyone back onto the quinjet and get going. Stark got me a ticket to Hamilton to try and get me accustomed to ‘modern culture’ whatever that means, and I don’t want to miss it,” the spirit said. 

The Dora Milaje stood around the two groups of Avengers as they met up with the others waiting outside and headed back to the jet. Before Rhodey boarded T’Challa pulled him to the side. 

“Tell Stark that I have officially submitted my application and will not go through with the council trial if that’s what he truly wishes. He’ll know what I mean,” the king said. Rhodey nodded before boarding the jet, and T’Challa watched as the Avengers flew back to New York. He wasn’t sure what would happen, but he knew that it would be messy. 

 

Tony had not had a board meeting that day. He had not had one for a while now, actually. Now that Pepper basically ran the company he didn’t really have to go to those anymore. While Rhodey was covering for his absence in Wakanda, Tony had been curled up on the couch with Peter, Harley, Kamala, and Riri watching the original Ghostbusters. 

None of the Junior Avengers had asked him about the return of the rogues, and he hadn’t offered any information. They had a silent agreement that until Rogers was hammering on the door, they would pretend that it was a normal, rogue free day. Tony’s phone only buzzed once with a text from Vision telling him that all had gone well and that Wanda was fine. Tony didn’t particularly care that Wanda was fine, but he knew that she meant something to Vision and so he was happy about her safe return. What he was not happy about was the fact that Rogers and Barnes would be walking around the compound that Tony had designed and paid for as if they owned the place. What he wasn’t happy about was that Frost was going to have to be in control of Oliver’s full mind way more often to stop the ex-assassin from getting flashbacks of being murdered. What he wasn’t okay with was the fact that Captain Dickhead had once dropped part of an airport loading dock on Peter, and that he would have every opportunity to do it again. There were many other things that Tony found highly displeasing, but those were the top three that he’d been focusing on. In the past three days, he’d taught Riri how to start making her own AI while giving Peter, Harley, and Kamala their own which he’d programmed to alert him whenever they were feeling nervous in the presence of one of the rogues. 

They were halfway through the second Ghostbusters when another text came to Tony’s phone, this one from Stephen. They were back. Steve wanted to see him. They were back. 

“Mr. Stark? Are you okay?” Peter asked nervously. Tony gave him a strained smile. 

“Fine. Our company's just arrived.” Just like that, the atmosphere shifted from relaxed to dangerously tense. Kamala jumped up and rushed to grab her new and improved uniform from where she had left it in the lab. Tony had updated the homemade dress so that it was made out of stronger, more bulletproof material while adding in the AI he had designed into her new mask. Riri summoned her armor to her and Harley did the same while Peter, who had already been wearing his Spider-suit so that he could chat with his AI whom he was calling Karen, pulled down his mask all the way. 

“Where are they in the building?” Riri asked FRIDAY. 

“The rogue Avengers are currently in the main lobby, though JOCASTA is directing them towards the East Wing,” FRIDAY reported. JOCASTA was another AI that Tony had created, though this one he had given a body. 

“Are they listening to her?” he asked. 

“Mostly, though Mr. Rogers does not think that you should have created another ‘murder bot’ as he has so elegantly phrased it,” FRIDAY said with obvious distaste. 

“You let him have it, FRI,” Tony said before slumping back in his seat. He felt a wave of exhaustion overcome him and he barely even looked up when Stephen portal into the room. Upon seeing the Junior Avengers suited up and ready for a fight and Tony’s defeated posture, his shoulders sagged a bit. 

“I take it you got my text, then?” the sorcerer asked. 

“Are they going to stay in the East Wing?” Tony asked instead. 

“They should. Clint wants to see his family though, and if he thinks that you know anything about their whereabouts than he will break down the door to find out. Rogers wants to talk to you as well, I can tell he didn’t buy the ‘Tony’s at a board meeting’ story. He’s also convinced that you can somehow magically get his title back.” Tony slumped even further into the chair, and the cloak drifted over to lay a comforting corner on his shoulder. 

“I don’t want to talk to him,” Tony said quietly. 

“You don’t have to. Rhodey thinks it’s best of someone stays here in case any of the rogues try anything, and I volunteered,” Stephen said, not missing the way that the engineer was rubbing his sternum. 

“May says that I can stay at the compound too,” Peter said. “And Harley doesn’t have to go home for another few days. We’re here for you, Mr. Stark,” Peter said confidently, even though he was fidgeting with his hands the entire time. Tony smiled tightly. 

“Thanks kid, but I don’t want Rogers to have any more reason to wanna pick a fight with you. With any of you.” 

“Peter’s right. We’re standing by you, whether you like it or not,” Riri said in a tone laced with finality. With that Tony’s resolve broke, and he found himself crying into the Cloak of Levitation, which curled around him and patted him reassuringly on the back. 

The Junior Avengers watched as Stephen carefully led the crying Tony to his bedroom to calm down. They shot each other dark looks and Peter turned to Riri with a somber expression on his face. 

“I think it’s time. I know we haven't perfected the tweaks yet, but I’d say that operation ‘Gina’ is a go.” The other engineer nodded her head and gestured for the others to follow her. 

“Peter and I have been working on something ever since we met. We knew that it was only a matter of time before the rogue’s cam back, and so we started to put it together.” She continued to ramble on about the rogues and needing someone else on their side until they reach Riri’s personal lab, which used to be Hawkeye’s room for the times he stayed over at the compound. 

“Riri, what are you talking about?” Harley asked as they all entered the lab. The engineer waited until the doors had closed before opening a locked drawer with her retinal scan and pulling out a flash drive labeled ‘Gina’.

“This. I had started the plans back at MIT. I was kind of the odd one out and wanted a friend, so I started designing one. Then I got here and Peter was telling me how he was working on designs for androids and so we started project Gina,” she said as she opened a closet that was hidden in the wall. The others’ eyes widened in amazement as they saw what was inside. 

“Is that-” Kamala began. 

“A body. Completely bionic, but not so strong that we couldn’t shut it down if something went wrong. The body was that of a twelve or so year old girl. She seemed to have what looked like real hair which was buzzed on one side to reveal a circuit board covered in a layer of bulletproof glass. She as shorter than Peter but slightly taller than Harley and she looked like she had real human skin that shone a warm chestnut in the light. 

“You two made this,” Kamala asked in disbelief. “How? I thought Tony just taught you how to create a sentient AI.

“He thought he did. It would have seemed strange if I already knew how, so I just played along,” Riri explained. 

“We had a bit of help,” Peter said. “Remember when Shuri was here a while back for the council meeting? Well, we were telling her about the project and she seemed to think it was a good idea. She’d met the rogues and didn’t like them. She sent us some more advanced coding and a vibranium heart-” 

“Her heart?” Harley asked with interest. “She has a heart?” 

“Yeah. We’re not entirely sure how it works, but Shuri said it was a prototype that she had been working on,” Peter explained. “She can still be improved, but I think that she should be operational enough to protect Tony should the situation call for it.” 

“Is that her job? Protect Tony?” Kamala asked. 

“Yeah, that’s a general idea. She wasn’t really designed to go out as an Avenger, it’s more for ‘in home’ threats,” Riri explained. They Junior Avengers looked at each other before Peter took a deep breath and nodded. 

“Alright Riri, let’s fire her up.” 

 

Steve sat on his new bed and looked around his new room. Apparently, all of their old rooms had been turned into labs for some of Tony’s interns, so they had been given new ones in the East Wing of the building. The rooms were plain and held only the bare essentials. They each looked exactly the same and when he asked JOCASTA about decoration, Steve was told that he could do whatever he like provided he uses his own money to do it. She had also referred to him as ‘Mr. Rogers’ more times than was necessary he thought, wish cemented his suspicion that it was Tony’s idea to have his title stripped away. Not only was his title gone, but he had gotten a message from a representative of the United States saying that he was no longer permitted to wear their colors as his uniform. JOCASTA had said that she would take the old uniform and that he would have a new one soon. He had not been at all pleased. 

Clint was off trying to figure out a way to find his family while Sam was talking with the US army to try and keep the falcon wings which they had decided were theirs. Steve hated the thought of it. First, they had been forced to sign the accords, and now this. He stood up and walked out of his new room and into the hallway beyond. He had to talk to Tony and see what he could do about their living arrangements and gear. If what Rhodey had said in the video message was true, then he couldn’t count on Stark Industries to be providing them with their toys anymore, which simply could not stand. 

“Mr. Rogers,” a voice said from behind him. “Is there something I can help you with?” he turned around to see a girl of about twelve standing a few feet behind him. Half of her head was buzzed to reveal some sort of strange metal on her scalp. She was wearing an expression of disinterest, yet her dark eyes were bright and alert as if assessing the danger in front of her. She was wearing black leggings and a green, knitted tank top that left her shoulders and arms bare, and the robotic makeup of her joints very much visible. 

“I’m sorry, what are you?” Steve asked suspiciously. After meeting JOCASTA Steve had a bad feeling that Tony was experimenting with robots again. 

“I am Gina, and I believe that my role is currently Mr. Stark’s personal guard. That is what the creator told me,” she replied in an emotionless voice. She sounded less like FRIDAY or JOCASTA and more like Siri, except a little more human. “You did not answer my question. Do you require assistance?” she continued. 

“I was looking for Tony,” Steve replied feeling frustration bubble under his skin. Clearly, this wasn’t one of Tony’s designs, so who was the creator? And why would they send it here?” 

“Mr. Stark is not available at the moment. If you wish to make an appointment, then you may proceed to the main desk, or ask Captain Marvel or War Machine to try and fit you in,” she stated coolly. Her large, brown eyes blinked only once per thirty seconds it seemed like, and her staring was beginning to creep Steve out. 

“I need to talk to him now, I don't’ have time to make a meeting. If you’ll just tell me where he is-”

“Mr. Stark is not available at the moment. If you wish to make an appointment, then you may proceed to the main desk, or ask Captain Marvel or War Machine to try and fit you in,” she repeated in the same tone as before. Steve took a step towards her only for her to lift her point her hand at him, palm forward. He watched in horror as her palm split open and crackled with red electricity. 

“Threat detected. Alerting closest registered responder,” she informed him. She did not make any move to attack him, but her hand stayed out in front of her and the electricity did not die down. He tried to take another step forward only for the electricity to jump outward, and so he quickly resumed his previous position. 

“What’s happening- oh,” a voice said only to be cut off. Steve turned to find Frost standing behind him, eyes narrowed as he assessed the situation. 

“You, will you call off your murder bot, please?” Steve asked. 

“Not mine,” Frost said coldly. His eyes glowed with hatred as he watched Steve. “Oliver was the one who helped create her, not me. I was asleep. Even his contributions are quite small, it was the young ones who did the main work. Well, the extra young ones,” Frost corrected. Steve figured that to a spirit that had been around for a millennium, even he would seem young. 

“Gina, that is your name,” he said as he turned towards the bot. She lowered her hand and her palm resealed itself. 

“I am Gina.”

“I think that you can let Mr. Rogers go about his business. He’s gotten the message that Mr. Stark does not wish to see him,” Frost said, deliberately turning his back on Steve. The super soldier watched as the winter spirit walked forward and took the robot child's hand and walked with her back the way he had come. Now Steve really needed to talk to Tony.


	8. Resurrection: Ice that Burns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve 'needs' to talk with Tony, Gina, Peter, Riri, and Stephen all disagree with that fact, Wanda meets a fellow magical outcast from the Sanctum, and Frost is way more metaphorical than anyone expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! So as you can see this is the first chapter of 'Resurrection', and the second part of this series! (Whoo! Yeah!) So before we begin, a couple of notes. 
> 
> 1\. I have added in the character of Clea, and have changed her role from that of the comics. In this story, she is not Dr. Strange's wife and she is about Wanda's age (early twenties). 
> 
> 2\. As you can see, I have added a ship to this story, which I'm guessing a lot of you saw coming. I assure you that it won't be the main part of the story. I just kind of wanted it there. 
> 
> 3\. IMPORTANT! A huge thank you to TheMadHattress13 for letting me use her OC, Mindy Zafai! If you haven't already, go check out her post-infinity war series, Life Doesn't Discriminate! 
> 
> Hope you like the next chapter!

Tony woke up to FRIDAY calling his name. He blinked blearily and looked around at his room. Stephen was asleep on a couch with the cloak covering him and Tony quickly snapped a picture to mock the sorcerer with later before turning his attention back to FRIDAY. 

“What is it, FRI?” he asked. 

“Sir, Mr. Rogers requests to speak with you. He claims that it is urgent.” Tony groaned in annoyance and ran a hand through his hands. 

“Does he specify why it is so urgent he get to speak with me?” Tony asked. FRIDAY remained silent for a moment, most likely trying to get Rogers to answer. 

“He wishes to speak to you about the GINA program. I regret to say that I am not quite sure what he is talking about,” she informed Tony. 

“Tell him that I don’t either,” Tony replied. “Gina program,” he muttered to himself. “What is the Gina program.” He was still wondering aloud when he got to the kitchen and found a twelve-year-old girl with what looked like a completely bionic body sitting on a stool by the table. She looked owlishly up at him but said nothing. Her lack of blinking was quite unnerving and Tony quickly summoned a repulsor to himself. The girl still did not react. 

“Okay, what the Hell,” Tony demanded. “Who are you.” 

“I am Gina,” she replied in a voice that lacked all emotion. 

“Why are you here?” Tony added, realizing that he wasn’t going to get any answers that he didn’t specifically ask for. 

“My protocol is to protect Mr. Stark. You are Mr. Stark and you are here, therefore I am here,” she responded calmly, her large eyes blinking once as she continued to stare up at him. 

“Tony, what the actual Hell are you doing-” Stephen demanded as he stumbled into the room. He looked up only to find himself staring face to face with the palm of an unfamiliar girl’s hand that was spewing electricity like a volcano spews lava.   
“Tony, what is that,” Stephen demanded, taking a few steps backward. The girl stared at him as he backed away, and slowly lowered her hand. She had yet to leave her spot on the stool. 

“I don’t know. I think she’s here to protect me.” 

“That is correct,” she confirmed. 

“Well then tell her I’m not a threat!” Stephen said in exasperation. 

“I’m not sure how I don’t think that verbal information is currently registering with her. We’d need to write that fact into her code which we can’t do unless we know who created her. 

“Do you wish to speak with my creators, Mr. Stark?” Gina asked. 

“Uh… sure,” he agreed. The young girl nodded and hopped off her stool. She walked calmly to the elevator and took continued to stare at them until the door shut. Tony and Stephen stared after her in silence until the elevator opened once more to reveal Peter and Riri standing behind Gina. 

“Hey, Mr. Stark!” Peter said cheerfully. Tony sighed internally he. He should have known that this was one of Peter and Riri’s creations in retaliation to the return of the rogues. What he didn’t understand was how they had managed to make a bionic body, and how they managed to create such a sentient AI. Gina wasn’t even close to the level of mindful awareness of FRIDA, JARVIS, or JOCASTA of course, but he knew that she would be able to get there. She had, of course, only just been created. She was currently running on coding and protocols alone. 

“You two did this,” Stephen stated. The two junior Avengers looked slightly guilty but didn’t back down. 

“Yes, we did,” Riri said. “When we heard that Rogers was back we decided to test her out. She’s already had one encounter with him and successfully stopped him from getting to you. I’d call that a job well done!” she said, reaching over to high five Peter. 

“Wait, she’s met Rogers?” Stephen asked. Tony remembered FRIDAY’s message from that morning and groaned. 

“That’s why he kept going on about something called ‘Gina’.” 

“Yeah… According to Frost and Oliver, he didn’t like her that much. But I mean, that is kinda the point, so I’d say that that’s okay,” Riri responded. Gina was now sitting on her stool and watching them with alert eyes. 

“Mr. Rogers is approaching,” she suddenly said. With that, she stood, grabbed Tony’s arm with surprising strength, and dragged him back towards his room before shoving him inside and locking the door. She then sat down in front of the entrance and looked emotionlessly at the elevator door. 

“She’s right,” FRIDAY said. “Mr. Rogers just got into the elevator and is on his way up. There is no one else with him. He is holding the packet of papers detailing BARF that was delivered to Mr. Barnes last night, and he seems quite angry,” she warned. 

“Alright, masks on,” Stephen ordered. Peter quickly pushed his mask down over his face and Riri’s suit closed around her. Within a few moments the elevator doors opened to reveal a very angry looking Steve Rogers and, as FRIDAY had said, he was holding a packet that was specifically given to Bucky, and no one else. 

“Where’s Tony, I need to talk to him,” he demanded. 

“Mr. Stark isn’t here,” Peter said stubbornly. He kept his hands clasped tightly behind his back to try and make them stop trembling, but found that it was useless. Steve sighed and took a few steps toward Peter. 

“Look, kid, this doesn't concern you. Just tell me where Tony is and-” WHAM. Just as Steve got within the three-foot radius of Peter, one of the Iron Legion smashed into him and stood protectively in front of the red and blue hero. 

“Attention, you are too close to Spider-man. I must ask you to back away,” FRIDAY said cooly. Steve stared at the suit before narrowing his eyes. 

“Seriously, Tony? I know you’re here!” His eyes landed on Gina and he growled again in annoyance. “I can see your little Ultron outside of your door!” Gina tilted her head and turned to look at Stephen. 

“Witch Doctor, will you take Mr. Stark to a different location? I feel that the stress of this one is not good for his heart,” she said monotonously. Stephen looked like he wanted to protest the name ‘Watch Doctor’, but instead nodded and portaled into Tony’s room to get him to a separate part of the compound. 

“You are not welcome in this section of the compound,” Riri said as she fired up her Ironheart suit. “You would best leave before Carol or Rhodey get here or they’ll kick your ass,” she warned. 

“Young lady, language!” Steve said, scandalized. 

“Call her young lady again and I’m gonna put my foot somewhere it doesn’t belong,” the voice of Carol Danvers said as the warrior landed behind Steve. “Mr. Rogers, you aren't permitted to be here. It was specifically stated in your contract that you have access to the east wing and public areas of the compound. Iron Man's private rooms are not included in those designated areas.”   
“What do you mean, I’ve always had access to Tony’s rooms!” Steve said in genuine confusion. “And since when does the Iron Legion attack people just for talking.” 

“Tony programmed the suits of the Junior Avengers to send a signal to FRIDAY whenever they were feeling threatened in the presence of a bully such as yourself,” Riri said. “You’re lucky that it was FRIDAY and not Frost that showed up here. He’s had a serious grudge against you ever since you killed Oliver,” she warned. “FRIDAY, please escort Rogers out of here,” she said. Soon Steve found himself being manhandled roughly into the elevator and on his way back down to the lobby. 

 

Wanda sat alone in her room, the bronze sling ring that Strange had left for her sitting heavily in her palm. The cool metal felt alien in her hand and she wondered nervously if it could sense that her magic had been used for evil. That it was judging her unworthy to have it. True to his word, Stephen had yet to approach her about training. He said that she would have a few days to settle in and that was what she was getting. At first, it seemed nice, but now she was beginning to think that she would much rather be listening to people with more power tell her that she shouldn’t have her abilities. 

Wanda had not seen her teammates since their arrival in the compound. Sam was working with the US military on a contract for his falcon wings most of the time, and Clint was off trying to get in contact with his wife and kids. Bucky had always been elusive, so she wasn’t surprised that she hadn’t seen him, but not seeing Steve was strange. She had expected him to be popping in at all hours of the day to remind them all that ‘Stark is using us’ and ‘the accords are trying t make us slaves!’ but she had yet to hear from him once. Perhaps he was still angry about her texting Vision. Had he gone to see the others, but not her? Her musings were interrupted by a knock on her door. 

“Yes?” she asked. The door opened up to reveal not one of her teammates, but a woman she didn’t recognize at all. Her hair was white, only a few shades darker than Frosts, and she was wearing an outfit similar to that of Dr. Strange except that the color scheme revolved around purple and pink while he was blue and red. 

“Who are you?” Wanda asked carefully, scarlet dancing lightly around her fingertips. 

“Woah, relax. I’m not here to hurt you,” she said. “My name is Clea, I’m one of Stephen’s magic buddies from the sanctum,” she explained. Wanda lowered her hands and let the scarlet fade away, but still kept her guard up. 

“Why are you here?” she asked carefully. “I’m not meant to start training for two more days.” 

“I know, I just wanted to meet you. I’d say you’re the only other magic user like me, so we’ll probably be training a lot together.” 

“Like you?” Wanda asked, suddenly interested. Did this woman get her powers from an infinity stone as well?” 

“Yeah, both of us aren’t exactly very popular in the magic community, and a lot of our powers are pretty theoretical, so I’d say we’re pretty similar in their eyes at least.” She said. Upon seeing Wanda’s confused expression she elaborated. “I’m not exactly from around here. I’m not sure how much Strange has told you yet, but a big part of being a sorcerer is fighting against the Dark Dimension and Dormammu. I’m the Sorceress Supreme of the Dark Dimension and the niece of Dormammu. Many very powerful people fought hard against Stephen’s decision to let me stay here, but since I helped him fight my uncle he decided that I could be trusted. Those same people didn’t want you to be brought back, especially not trained in the sanctum, but once again Stephen fought them and won. He’s cool like that,” Clea explained. 

“He fought for me?” Wanda asked, hating how small her voice sounded. 

“Oh yeah. Said that he saw a lot of potential in you if you were to receive the right training. Wong will probably be working the most with you at first and I should warn you, he can be pretty tough, but it’s all for the best. Had it not been for Wong, Stephen and I wouldn’t even know the basics of magic,” Clea explained, sitting down beside Wanda. “I see you’ve got your sling ring already. That’s a good sign that he gave it to you early. Clearly, he trusts you with it.” 

“Do all sorcerers use these?” Wanda asked, examining the ring once more. 

“Generally speaking, yeah. You and I have slightly different powers so it isn’t completely necessary, but they’re needed for the basics of portal making and such, which I for one think is a very useful skill.” Wanda listened as Clea continued to talk about the various uses of sling rings and different kinds of magic. The other magic user could talk, but Wanda found that she didn’t quite mind. 

“Damn, no offense, but this place is dull,” Clea noted as she looked around at the barren walks of Wanda’s standard living quarters. 

“Yeah,” Wanda admit, slightly embarrassed, “they don’t really give us an allowance and I doubt that there’s anyone in the city that would want to hire me.” Clea seemed to consider for a second before snapping her fingers. 

“I know exactly what to do,” she stated. “I’ll be right back.” With that, she opened a glowing magenta portal and was gone. Wanda stared at the spot she’d vanished with wide eyes until Clea reappeared five minutes later with a large body bag full of what looked like duct tape rolls, spray paint, and brushes.

“W-where did you get all this?” Wanda asked in surprise. 

“Oh, a friend of mine gave it to me. Mindy Zafai. I met her through Spider-man ‘cause she sometimes hangs around the compound. You’ll probably run into her at some time or another. Anyway, she’s got tons of paint and stuff. I got mostly reds and stuff ‘cause that seems to be your thing, but I can definitely get other colors too,” Clea offered. 

“Oh, red is fine,” Wanda said. “What’s the duct tape for?” 

“Oh, if we want to do patterns we can use the duct tape as a border,” Clea explained. “Now this’ll probably take a while, so we should get started!”

 

After Gina had told Stephen to get Tony somewhere safer, he had quickly portaled the shaking man back to his room at the sanctum. Gina had told him to bring him to a separate part of the building, but Stephen didn’t feel comfortable with Tony being anywhere near Rogers. 

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” he said softly. “We’re not there anymore, we’re in the sanctum. It’s on the other side of New York,” he whispered. Tony just whimpered and clutched at his robes. The Cloak of Levitation wrapped itself protectively around both of them. While it couldn’t give any spoken reassurance, it’s familiar presence was calming. “I got you, I got you,” he continued to whisper. 

“Why did he have to come back? Why couldn’t T’Challa have just kept him?” Tony wondered out loud, most likely not even realizing that he was speaking. 

“I don’t know. What matters now is that they can’t hurt you. Your friends outnumber your enemies and are far stronger as well. I’m sure that Carol has already told Jessica to be on standby and Rhodey’s definitely going to give Rogers Hell.” They stayed like that for thirty minutes before Stephen shifted slightly and Tony grabbed onto his sleeve. 

“Please stay,” he said brokenly. 

“Of course, I just didn’t want to lose circulation in my leg,” he promised. The genius nodded and snuggled further into the man beside him. 

 

Steve had been sent back to his room with a warning from Carol, and glares from both Riri and Peter. Gina remained as expressionless as always, but Steve had a feeling that had she been granted the facial muscles, she would have stuck her tongue out at him. He expects many people to come and yell at him, but what he didn’t expect was Natasha. Frost was standing slightly behind her as well, but Steve paid no mind to the spirit. Natasha’s hair was still being kept short and blonde, and she was wearing her new standard uniform. It looked like Tony had upgraded it since Steve had last seen it as it had more durable looking armor and a spear that Steve guessed could become twin batons. 

“Nat,” he greeted, a small smile gracing his features. 

“Rogers,” she replied. “I think I liked you better with the beard,” she stated. He gestured to the chair by his bed, but she did not sit. 

“What can I do for you, Nat?” he asked. She cocked her head and considered him as a cat would a particularly feisty mouse before pouncing. 

“Stay away from Tony, Steve. I don’t care if you’re doing what you think is right. I’ve taken a step back to look at the big picture, and you have a very strange pattern of doing more harm than good in many situations. Tony doesn't need to be compromised like that.” 

“What?” Steve asked in confusion. He’d been counting on Natasha being a bridge between their two teams. Someone who could convince Tony to see reason, not to help keep him hidden away. 

“She said to keep the fuck away from Stark,” Frost ordered. Steve bristled at the commanding tone that the spirit was taking with him, and he felt a frown etch itself onto his face. 

“I really don’t that was necessary, young man,” he chastised. While the spirit may be thousands of years old, Steve new an unruly child when he saw one. Frost laughed a cold and cynical sound which set Steve’s teeth on end. 

“Tell me, Roger. Have you ever been in a wildfire?” the spirit asked, throwing Steve off for a second. Natasha, it seemed, wasn’t as surprised. She glanced at Steve one more time before leaving the room. Clearly, this conversation was meant to be just between him and Frost. 

“No, I can’t say I have. I really don’t see what this has to do with-”

“I haven't either, but I have a friend who was in one. His name is Oliver Sorris, know him?” Frost interrupted the same schooled expression on his face as before. Steve had a feeling that he could punch Frost square in the face, and he’d still be wearing the same expression. 

“He’s the person you’re possessing. Whose body you're currently violating-” 

 

“Don’t speak to him that way!” A voice yelled. It came out of Frost’s mouth, but it wasn’t Frost. The hair that had previously been entirely white was now half brown, and one of the once silver eyes was now hazel. Oliver Sorris. 

“Oliver. Hello,” Steve greeted. If he could just convince the kid to cast out the parasitical spirit than maybe he’d have a new ally. The second Oliver’s eyes landed on Steve though, his whole demeanor changed from angry to terrified. HIs breathing sped up and his eyes grew unfocused.   
“It hurts,” he mumbled quietly. “The light, it hurts.” Suddenly it was Frost again, a livid expression on his face. 

“Look what you did!” he shrieked at the confused super soldier. “It’s alright, you’re okay.” he was whispering softly. He spent a moment rocking back and forth gently before glaring back up at Steve. 

“When Oliver was on a mission once, a forest fire started. He had to watch as it tore through trees and demolished homes. It ripped apart families and ate up everything in it’s path. People, animals, plants. Living or dead, the fire took it all. So bright was the blaze that while it was destroying lives, artists created murals and paintings to capture it’s likeness. While people screamed and burned away to nothing, others were mesmerized by it’s beauty as they watched from their TV screens. You, Steve Rogers, are the fire. You take and you take. You devour anything and everything that stands in your path as the world watches in amazement. They create sculptures and museum exhibits in your honor while those that you burned are left gasping for breath as they try not to choke on the smoke.”

“Now wait just a minute-” 

“Have you ever felt ice?” Frost interrupted once more. 

“Yes,” Steve replied wearily. He was liking the winter spirit less and less. 

“Have you ever felt ice so cold that it burns? Ice so cold that there is no water left, and it becomes fire against your skin, blackening everything it touches like soot and burning even more painful than flames? I have It’s what's at my core. Tony has as well. For hours he lay trapped in a metal tomb while he burned away. I’m warning you now Rogers, that if you try to burn Tony again I will burn you right back. I’ve felt ice and I’ve felt fire, and ice is far more painful.” As he spoke, his face began to shift from an emotionless facade, into a horrifying portrait of rage. Steve had to take a moment to find his voice, and he knew that Frost could see the fear he was feeling. 

“Is that a threat?” Steve finally asked. His voice was clipped and stoic, but inside he was trembling. 

“Are you truly so daft that I must clarify?” Frost asked, his expression becoming blank once more. It was the same mask that he’d worn before but now that Steve knew what lay underneath, he could never look at the spirit the same way.


	9. Resurrection: Enexion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wanda sees the Sanctum, Tony meets lucky face to face, and Frost makes an unlikely friend while telling a very personal story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So in this chapter, we get to see a bit more about the character of Frost since a lot of you seem interested, and my friend has been pestering me to add some more backstory in. 
> 
> That being said, the character of 'Frost' as he calls himself in this fic is a character that I made up for an original story, and the backstory is all true. I chose it because I realized that it's almost what Zemo did for the Civil War on a global scale. I am thinking about putting the story I created with Frost up as an original work, so if you guys like Frost than keep your eyes out!

It was long, tedious work, but after six hours of spraying and brushing Wanda’s walls were a beautiful shade of maroon. They had needed to mix in a bit of white to the formula to lighten it a bit, but it had worked. There was duct tape lining the trim of each wall to make sure that the paint didn't get on the areas that Wanda still wanted to remain white, and the floor was covered in plastic wrap along with her bed, chair, and desk. She wasn’t sure where Clea had gotten the items, and she decided that she didn’t want to know. 

“Now that,” Clea said, panting, “is art.” 

“I’m surprised we got it done so quickly,” Wanda said. 

“Well, I’m glad we did. It looks much better in here now,” Clea stated. “I’ll have to get these paints back to Mindy or she’ll flip out,” the sorceress said as she checked the time. 

“I’ll give her my thanks when I met her,” Wanda added with a smile as Clea winked before stepping into another magenta portaling and disappearing along with the large bag of spray paint. She sat on her bed and looked around at the newly colored walls. She wondered what the others would say when they saw it. Steve would probably tell her that she was being manipulated, while Sam would just say it was cool. Bucky would probably congratulate her on her self expression while Clint would laugh and tell her that she could make a good artist if she wanted to. Would Tony mind that she’d painted his walls? JOCASTA had said that they could decorate so long as they didn’t use any of Stark’s money, so this should be okay. 

She looked over at the corner by her bed and sighed. Had this been her old room, then her guitar would have gone there. A painting would have been hung above that, and there would have been a little table containing a small box that she had locked with her magic. Inside were two items. A picture of Pietro and her with their parents before the bomb had killed them, and Ultron’s heart. 

She had kept the gruesome souvenir as a reminder to herself to always be careful about who she chose to follow. Perhaps had she looked at it again before joining Steve in the Civil War she might have remembered to think twice. To consider who was truly in the wrong. Instead, she’d let her childish anger which she had long since outgrown rule over her. She had yet to see Vision since the ride on the quinjet, and had not said anything other than ‘hello’ and ‘I’m okay’. She wasn’t sure what exactly he thought of her. Before the fighting, she had thought that maybe they were heading somewhere other than friendship, but after what had happened she knew that was just a dream. He still cared for her, but she doubted that it was in a romantic way. You didn’t date people who had thrown you through ten floors in your own home. It just didn’t happen. 

“Ms. Maximoff,” a vaguely familiar voice said. She looked up to see Dr. Strange himself standing in her door.   
“Dr.,” she greeted. “I wasn’t aware you were coming.” 

“Neither was I, but Clea told me that you had nothing to do so I thought that I could give you a tour of the Sanctum so that you’ll know where you’re going tomorrow,” the sorcerer offered. He glanced around her room and then at the duct tape lining the walls. “I see that Clea took some time before reporting to me,” he noted. Wanda could offer no response other than a shrug. 

“Alright, I should warn you, traveling by portal can be a little surprising the first time, “he warned her. Wanda nodded and stood up. She watched as he moved his hand in a circular motion as Clea had down to open a portal, this one gold instead of magenta. He held out his hand and she tentatively took it. They were about to walk through the portal into the strange looking building beyond when a yell made them both turn. 

“What the Hell are you doing to her!” Steve Rogers demanded. Strange closed the portal with a sigh and Wanda felt a strange feeling a disappointment. She realized that actually did want to see the Sanctum. Clea had said so many cool things about it, and it looked quite interesting from what she’d seen through the portal. 

“Mr. Rogers, I must insist that you settle down,” Strange said calmly. “You’ll find that Ms. Maximoff is not under duress, and I can assure you that no harm will come to her.” Wanda realized that he sounded bored. Steve on the other hand still looked livid. 

“You can’t just take her out of here, she has rights!” he yelled.

“Yes,” Stephen agreed, “none of which are being violated. I was just taking her to see the place where she will be training and learning to better control her magic,” he informed Steve. 

“Yeah, you mean to become of-of Stark’s puppets,” he spat. Within a second Stephen was standing directly in front of him, a fire in his eyes that made Wanda gulp. 

“You would do well not to speak about Tony Stark in such a way. He is ten times the man you’ll ever be, and has done more for you than you know, and far more than you deserve. You can mock and belittle me all you want, but I will not allow you to do so to him,” he growled menacingly. With that, he re-opened the portal and offered Wanda his hand once more. Wanda kept her eyes glued on the Sanctum beyond as she took the offered hand and let Stephen lead her through the portal. 

The Sanctum was beautiful in its own historical sort of way. There were artifacts from all over the world, many inscribed with languages Wanda had ever even seen before. There were large glass windows on either side of her, and one glance at the traffic beyond told her that they were still in New York City. 

“This is the area where most people portal in. You can go directly to your room if you have one here, but this is the general spot otherwise,” Stephen explained. “I will bring you here tomorrow and we’ll meet Wong. He was the one who taught me along with the Ancient One and Baron Mordo.”

“Who are they?” Wanda asked.

“The Ancient One was Sorcerer Supreme before I was, but she was killed by Dormammu's followers. Mordo… well, I’m not sure where he was. After discovering that the Ancient One was feeding off of the Dark Dimension to remain alive he left the order. I have not heard from him since, but I believe that I’m going to in the future.” Wanda nodded. 

“Dormammu… that’s Clea’s uncle, right?” she asked. 

“Yes. The ruler of the Dark Dimension. After I forced him out of Earth I continued after him to stop him from consuming any other planets. Clea was the one who helped me defeat him. Now she resides here and works to protect Earth with the other sorcerers. As I’m guessing she already told you, she will most likely be training with you. Both of your powers are different from ours, and so it will be best to see if you can learn from one another.” Wanda nodded and followed Stephen further into the compound. They passed a few people who all nodded at Stephen and looked at Wanda curiously. She noticed that they were all wearing tunics like Stephen, except theirs were green and brown. She wondered briefly if she would be required to wear a uniform. 

The Sanctum was a lot bigger than Wanda imagined, and it seemed to constantly shift depending on where they were. After only five minutes of walking, she found that they were somehow three floors higher than where they had started despite not climbing any stairs.   
“So, this is the library. I’m guessing you’ll be spending a lot of time here,” Stephen says. “Believe me, I didn’t think I’d be hanging here either, but it ended up being my sanctuary,” Stephen said upon seeing her unbelieving expression. 

“I don’t recognize these languages,” she stated as she wandered around looking at various covers of books.

“Not many people do… even I can’t read many of them,” Stephen agreed. “Wong’s the only person that I know that can read all of them, and sometimes I think even he has to skip over some parts.” Wanda ran a finger over one of the ancient books and then turned back to Stephen. 

“What’s in them?” she asked. 

“Spells, recounts of old battles, magical theory, everything really.” 

“What about the Infinity Stones?” she asked carefully. 

“I’m sure there’s something in here. You’re welcome to look around a bit if you’d like. Just make sure that you put the books back in the exact same spot or Wong’s bound to throw a fit over it,” he warned. 

 

Steve paced back and forth while Sam and Bucky watched him carefully. Sam had just gotten back from his last meeting with the military representatives to find Steve yelling something about Stark, Wanda, and manipulation. He had been so happy to be able to tell the others that the military was letting him keep his wings but now found his joyous mood shattered. 

“So Strange is taking her to see the Sanctum. So what?” Sam asked. 

“Can’t you see that this isn’t Strange at all? Tony’s the one calling the shots on this… he just wants to get her on his side so that he can get the better of us,” Steve explained to them. 

“Stevie, that makes no sense,” Bucky said in an attempt to calm the other man down. “If Tony wanted to control Wanda, he would have just thrown her back in the raft with another power dampening collar.”

“I never thought I’d say this, but Bucky’s right,” Sam agreed. “I highly doubt that helping Wanda better use her powers is a power move on Stark’s part.” Steve shook his head in exasperation and walked back to Wanda’s room to wait for her return. Hopefully, he’d be able to talk some sense into her. It was easy to be dazzled by the Stark name, he knew, but it would only end badly. 

“Is it just me, or has he gotten worse ever since we got back here?” Sam asked. Bucky shook his head. 

“I don’t know what it is, but he just seems obsessed with Stark. I’ve never seen him get like this. I’m actually starting to get a little bit concerned…” Bucky trailed off as he heard the elevator rapidly approaching. Both Avengers watched as the doors slid open to reveal the billionaire himself trailed by a bionic twelve-year-old girl who watched them out of large, owlish eyes. 

“Barnes, just the guy I was looking for!” Tony said with a strained smile. To anyone else, it would have looked normal, but Bucky was trained to see when people were putting up a front. 

“Stark,” both men greeted. 

“Sam, congrats on the wings man, just heard that you got them back,” Tony said. “Barnes, I have a proposition for you. Ever since I made Rhodey’s new legs I’ve been working a lot more with bionics and I’ve got designs ready for a new arm. Figured you’d want something other than that Hydra contraption,” Tony said, gesturing to the large silver arm. 

“What do you want in return?” Bucky asked automatically. Tony looked at him strangely and blinked. 

“Nothing. I just don’t want that Hydra trash in my house,” he responded flippantly. “If you decide that you’d like to give a new arm a try than just schedule an appointment with FRIDAY, she knows my schedule!” he called over his shoulder as he headed back into the elevator with the young robo-girl who was still staring intently at them. 

 

Tony leaned against the metal wall of the elevator and took a shaky breath. Than another. Gina watched with no emotion as he regained his composure and pulled out his phone to send a few messages until the elevator doors open to reveal his living space. 

“You seem unwell, can I offer any assistance?” Gina asked as they stepped out of the elevator. Tony waved her off though and headed over to grab some leftover takeout for lunch. 

“FRIDAY, do a scan of the building and give me everyone’s locations,” Tony ordered absently as he heated up his food. 

“On it, boss,” the AI responded. She had the results within a minute. “You and Gina are currently in your living area. Peter Parker and Kamala Khan are in the cafeteria raiding a vending machine, and Riri Williams is in her lab working on new coding for Gina. Harley is training with Natasha and Carol while Rhodey is doing a skill evaluation on Clint. Clint is not pleased about this fact. Sam and Barnes are where you left them and are discussing whether or not Barnes is going to take you up on your offer. It seems that they agree that he should but are worried about what Steve will say. Rogers himself is in Wanda’s room, though Wanda herself is absent from the building. 

“Where is she?” Tony asked, suddenly alert. 

“Stephen Strange took her to the Sanctum for a tour before her training begins tomorrow. Rogers was highly against the idea,” FRIDAY responded calmly. Tony sighed in relief. If Stephen was with her then she wouldn’t be able to cause any damage. 

“Would you like me to continue the list?” FRIDAY asked. 

“No, I think I’m okay now. Thanks, FRI,” he responded. He ate in silence until the elevators opened once more to reveal Stephen Strange. The sorcerer strutted in with a self-satisfied grin on his face as he sat next to Tony. 

“I take it the tour went well?” the genius asked. 

“Exceptionally, so,” Stephen replied. “She seemed particularly interested in looking for information about the Infinity Stones in the library, and Wong gave her some basic things to practice until tomorrow. I think that once she’s fully out from under Roger’s wing, she’ll be quite the asset to the team,” Stephen reported. Tony nodded and seemed to consider something. 

“Are you sure that she’ll be able to do it? I mean, her magic is very different from yours. It’s not natural, or peaceful. I’ve seen first hand what she can do to a human mind. DO you really think that you’ll be able to train it?” 

“I’ve deliberated the fact for a while now, but I think it would be possible. I mean we thought that Clea was hopeless and look how far she’s come,” Stephen pointed out. Tony shrugged in agreement. He had only met Clea a handful of times, but he had to agree that the woman had talent. Hopefully, some of her personality would rub off on Wanda, he thought bitterly. 

“I just don’t want this to fail.” 

 

Wanda snarled in frustration as the pencil she was trying to move towards her once again rose into the air only to fall back on the desk. She could easily summon it to her, but Wong’s instructions had been clear; if a single thread of red touches it then it doesn’t count. After banishing Steve from her room she had been so excited to start practicing. That excitement had soon turned to anger upon realizing how difficult the task really was. 

Wanda had been trying to retrieve the pencil without using her powers’ scarlet manifestation for the past hour and had only succeeded in knocking it off of the desk. She growled angrily as she once again failed and felt her powers building in her hands. She was not at all surprised to look down and see red. She quickly closed her fists to stop the spread and felt the lashing stream of scarlet strength settle. 

“You will want to take a short break. Riling yourself up will only worsen your performance,” a voice said from her door. She whirled around to see Frost standing stiffly on the doorframe. Wanda had yet to speak face to face with the winter spirit and wasn’t sure what to expect. 

“What would you know about it,” she demanded, red spiraling from her fingers once more. 

“More than you do,” he replied calmly. She didn’t detect any sort of mockery in his voice and realized that he was just stating a fact. A fact that she had a feeling was true. Seeing all those books of magic and lore in the Sanctum’s library had really opened her eyes to how much there was that she truly didn’t know. 

“What you want to do is not focus o the pencil itself, but on all the little pieces. On the molecules that make it up. Picture each of them moving where you want them to. Picture the air around it shifting to make a path,” he instructed. Wanda calmed her breathing and tried again, this time listening to Frost’s advice. The pencil began to move, this time quicker and closer than before, but ended up falling on the carpet once more. 

“You can’t demand that it come to you,” Frost said. “Coax it forward. It’s like teasing out a knot. Yanking on one of the strings isn’t going to accomplish anything, but working your way through it will get it smoothed out in no time.” 

Wanda put the pencil back onto the desk and stepped back to her original spot before trying again. She focused on what Frost had said and slowly beckoned the pencil forward. She felt her power rushing through her but didn’t let it manifest itself into scarlet webs and kept it instead pulsing in her veins. She watched as the pencil drifted forward, each molecule answering her call, and gasped as it landed in her hand. 

“How did you know?” she asked, looking up at Frost. 

“An old friend taught me. A sorcerer,” he explained. Wanda looked up and saw pain in his eyes. The same pain that she used to see every night in Pietro’s after looking at the picture of their parents together, and the pain that she knew that he saw in hers. 

“What happened?” she asked softly. 

“I’m not sure,” Frost responded thoughtfully. “It was so long ago and worlds away. I thought I knew, but I recently received new intel that points me to a different conclusion. 

“Worlds Away… Do you mean another dimension? Like Clea?” Wanda asked in confusion. 

“Not another dimension, just a different planet. It’s where I lived my whole life until a few hundred years ago,” he responded. 

“Why did you leave?” Wanda questioned. Frost smiled sadly. “It was not my place to stay. It was the dawn of a new age, one that did not need a broken frost spirit with no family or home. I’m the last of my kind, so there was no longer a winter on that planet. My comrades would have tried to convince me to stay, but I knew that leaving was for the best. I only served as a reminder of everything that we’d lost in the war-”

“War?” Wanda interrupted. 

“Yes… I apologize, I often forget that not everyone knows the same history I do. It was a very violent war, one that everyone wanted to forget but knew they would not be able to. I don’t think that in all my years I have ever felt such strong fear as I did during the dark years of the fighting. There were spies everywhere, not to mention the number of traitors. Even the tightest knit families were torn apart. Brother turned on brother, and mother turned on child.” Wanda stared up at Frost, a silent indication to continue. 

“It was a war that demanded the attention of all races on the Enexion, that was the planets name. It was fought between the two great cities that stretched across entire continents. The first was Farwen, and the second was Mirval. I fought on the side of Mirval alongside the sorcerer who taught me what I just showed you,” Frost explained. “Both sides wanted an island known Caliin. It was a small, independent Kingdom that didn’t seem very important, but was very strategically placed and was stock full of resources. It’s the ruler, Queen Tviran, knew that she could not possibly win an open war against either city and decided instead to set the two powers against each other.” 

“She tricked them into fighting each other because she wanted them both gone but knew that she wouldn’t be able to do it herself,” Wanda stated. She felt pressure beginning to build behind her eyes and blinked rapidly to keep tears from spilling over onto her cheeks. 

“Yes. She was a very intelligent woman, I’ll give her that,” Frost said with distaste. “That war was vicious. Everyone lost something, and everyone betrayed someone. Even my own friends, brothers and sisters by everything but blood, turned their backs on each other.”

“That’s why you saved Tony. Why you can’t stand betrayal,” she whispered. Frost nodded. 

“I knew his pain.” He paused for a few moments and stared absently at the far wall as if recalling some ancient conversation before blinking and looking up at Wanda once more. 

“My real name is Orûk. I didn’t tell the others under the guise that it would be too hard for them to pronounce, but the truth is that I haven't shared my name with anyone since arriving on Earth,” he said suddenly. Wanda was taken aback. It was quite rare that someone shared something so personal with her. Steve had occasionally, but that was just to make her feel more comfortable, and it was usually something that other people close to him already knew. 

“I- thank you. For telling me this, I mean. You didn’t need to,” Wanda said quietly. Frost nodded and stood up. 

“I think, in some way, I sort of did. Now I’ll leave you to your practice,” he said gruffly as he strode quickly out of the room. Wanda watched as he left and began to once again try summoning the pencil. It landed gently in her hand every time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;)


	10. Resurrection: Mission Report

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers first mission together, Wanda is proud of herself, Steve does not approve of child soldiers, Tony is a badass, and Frost is as angsty as ever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!

It had to be Dr. Doom. After only a week of the rogue’s being back in the states, Dr. Doom had decided that it was the perfect time to launch an attack with some sort of robotic army he had created. All Avengers were called back to the compound, rogues and Junior Avengers included. Rhodey and Carol stood at the head of the table while the others leaned around it looking at a map of Boston, the City that Dr. Doom had decided to attack. 

“Alright, we’re gonna want people by the water to make sure none of them get out of the city through the water. The UN has given us permission to shut down the harbor, and all the streets have been closed. The police are making a perimeter, and the military is on the scene,” Carol stated. “Rhodey and I will be leading the two air teams, you’ve been emailed whose team you're on. The ground team will be led by Dr. Strange. Junior Avengers, you are going to be watching the perimeter. I don’t want any of you involved unless absolutely necessary.” The Junior Avengers nodded sullenly and Carol turned to Frost & Oliver. 

“I want you to start with Oliver in control,” she told them. “If the ground seems mostly covered then let Frost take over and join Rhodey’s air team.” Oliver nodded and stood straighter. 

“I’m putting Scarlet Witch and Ironman on the ground as the majority of the bots can’t fly,” Rhodey decided. Tony nodded his agreement but frowned when he realized that Wanda wasn’t even there. 

“I believe that might be a problem War Machine, I don’t think Scarlet Witch is present,” he stated. 

“She will be, she’s just finishing up her session with Wong,” Stephen explained. Right on cue a golden portal opened up and Wanda cam through, a self-satisfied smirk on her face. Steve noted that instead of her Scarlet witch uniform, she was wearing a maroon version of Stephen’s outfit, and had her hair back in a ponytail. She never wore ponytails. 

“Did you make that?” Natasha asked. Wanda nodded proudly and Stephen smiled. “You’re going to be helping out with the ground on Stephen’s team,” she explained to the witch who nodded her agreement. 

“Should we go then?” she asked. 

“Hang on, why can’t I be on Steve’s team?” Clint asked. 

“Because Mr. Rogers doesn’t have a team. He is not a team leader,” Carol sad calmly. 

“But Steve is the leader of the Avengers. He was chosen!” 

 

“I think it was less of him being chosen and more of him assigning himself the role… but either way that accounts for nothing now. He gave up all rights to be a team leader when he became a fugitive. Now, are we ready to go?” Rhodes stated icely. The others nodded and the quinjet rose into the air. 

 

Steve was not pleased with how the mission was going so far, and it had barely even started yet. He had received his new uniform from JOCASTA, and he could tell that Tony had put minimal work into it’s design. The star had been ripped off of the front leaving nothing but a sad outline, and the suit itself had been colored blue. Steve did not receive an answer when he asked about a new shield. 

He watched as the Avengers split off into small groups. Carol and Rhodey were going over plans while the Junior Avengers were talking excitedly amongst themselves. Bucky and Natasha were conversing in Russian and Sam walked over to join Rhodey and Carol strategizing meeting. Wanda and Stephen were on the opposite side of the jet, the younger looking very pleased with herself as she summoned a pencil from the other side of the jet into her hand. Steve noticed in surprise that there was no scarlet manifestation of her powers. He watched the two carefully and tracked them with his eyes as Wanda led Stephen over to where Oliver & Frost were standing stiffly. While Oliver would be the one in control once they got to Boston, Frost had taken over for the plane ride. Steve had a sinking feeling that he knew why. 

He was about to head over and try to get a feel as to what Wanda was thinking when suddenly he caught sight of Tony. For the first time in a while, the man was not surrounded by his new teammates or his murder bot. 

“Tony!” Steve said as he approached the hero. “Tony it’s good to see you again,” he said with a smile. Tony gave no response. Steve frowned when he didn’t even remove his faceplate but continued onward anyway.

“I know that a lot has happened between us, but I think that we’ve both had more than enough time to reflect. I’m sorry that we disagreed on the accords, and I know that you’re sorry about what happened with Bucky-” at that Tony did react. He stood up and began to walk away but Steve grabbed his arm and pulled him back down. 

“Tony, you need to stop acting like this!” he growled angrily. Still, there was silence. 

“No, Rogers, you need to,” Tony replied coldly. “You’re right, I am sorry about what happened with Barnes. I’m sorry that you two got away, and that I let you hide away in Wakanda for as long as I did. I’m sorry that I let you make me feel like I was worth so little that I couldn’t function as my own unit. I’m sorry I let myself forget that I was Ironman before the Avengers and that I was able to destroy a terrorist cell and carry a nuke through a portal into space without any of you. I’m sorry that I wasted so much of my time and money on you and allowed you to abuse my trust to use my resources to look for the man that killed my mother without even bothering to tell me about it. So yes Steve, I am very sorry. I’ve had a lot of time to be sorry, and I’ve learned to live with it and get on with my life. Son though, it’s going to be your turn.” With that, he stood and walked over to Rhodey, Carol, and Sam.

 

The quinjet landed in Boston Harbor and the Avengers quickly jumped out and began to take in the scene before them. Dr. Doom’s robots were far less sophisticated than Ultron and much easier to disable. Good. Stephen watched as the air teams took to the skies, Rhodey and Carol opening up the com channels and making sure everyone can hear them. 

“Alright, everyone spread out and get to it. Junior Avengers, spread yourselves around the perimeter,” Carol ordered. 

“On it,” Peter replied. 

“Ironman, I want you to start looking for Dr. Doom. Dr. Strange, leave some of your team by the harbor. We need to keep the threat contained.” 

“Captain Marvel is correct,” Stephen agreed. “Scarlet Witch, can you get a shield around the harbor?” 

“On it,” Wanda said. Soon there was a shimmering red barrier cutting off the city from the harbor. It rippled as robots disintegrated against it, but held strong. 

“Good. Try to fight as much as you can, but this shield is your main priority,” Stephen instructed. “If you need to focus solely on the shield then I’ll have someone on the ground come and watch you-”

“I’ll do it,” Bucky cut in. “Dr. Doom isn’t stupid, he’ll figure out who’s making the shield and send more of his robots after her. I’ll guard her.” 

“Alright,” Stephen agreed. 

“Rogers, I need you and Black Widow at Faneuil Hall,” Stephen ordered. 

“On my way,” Natasha replied as she threw out a handful of widow bites at a large cluster of robots. Steve gave no response but did as the sorcerer ordered. 

“Rogers, I need confirmation," Stephen said. 

“On my way,” he ground out angrily. He could practically picture the smug smirk on the other man's face and promised himself that if he saw Stephen becoming overwhelmed, he wouldn’t make an effort to help him. 

“Oliver, there’s a big group coming your way on your six,” Rhodey said. The assassin turned and quickly threw one of his knives which embedded itself in one of the bots heads and electrocuted seven others. 

“Go it covered, War Machine,” he replied. “I could use someone else on this street though, it’s getting pretty choked down here,” he reported. He paused a moment before speaking again. “Never mind, Frost says he’s got it.” A few moments later the entire street was coated in ice, and the bots were frozen where they stood. 

“You could have done that this whole time?” Oliver asked in annoyance. 

“Sorry, I thought that you wanted to fight this battle yourself,” Frost replied from the back of Oliver’s mind. Oliver rolled his eyes but ignored him in favor of cutting down the frozen robots. 

 

Wanda could feel sweat beading on her forehead as she hurled scarlet balls of energy at the incoming enemies while keeping the barrier around the harbor intact. She remembered what Wong had told her about how to better control her powers and how to conserve her energy. Bucky was in front of her using both his machine gun and metal arm to fend off any approaching robots while resisting the urge to throw a grenade. While it would take care of the robot problem, the explosion would cause too much damage and so the UN had forbidden it. 

“Hey, does anyone know if we can be expecting any help from his royal pussy cat?” Tony asked as he continued to search for Dr. Doom. 

“No, T’Challa said that he had some things that he had to take care of in Wakanda. If the fightings still going on by the time he’s finished he said he’d come, but I doubt it will come to that,” Rhodey answered. 

“Okay… how is the perimeter looking? Ironheart, do you think they’d be able to hold without you guys there?” Tony asked next. 

“Yeah, the perimeter looks fine. Scarlet Witch’s shield’s got the harbor area completely protected which let the military and police re-enforce the other areas,” she reported. 

“Great. In that case, I want you, Miss Marvel, Iron Savior, and Spider-man to help me search for Dr. Doom. If you find him alert me and DO NOT ENGAGE, do you understand? If he sees you and attacks than that’s one thing, but if you make the first move then I’m pulling you from active duty,” he said. 

“Yes, Mr. Stark, we won’t let you down!” Peter said excitedly. Tony rolled his eyes and continued onward. Only Peter would be this happy with robots shooting at his head. 

“Tony, are you sure this is a good idea? Putting kids in the field?” Steve asked. 

“In the field, you address me as Ironman, and yes. They are all trained individuals that are more than capable of taking care of themselves,” Tony replied shortly. 

“Boys, get your heads back in the game,” Natasha warned. Steve frowned but stayed quiet. It wouldn’t help anyone to distract the rest of the team. He could voice his concerns to Tony about having children as active duty Avengers once they were back at the compound. 

 

In the end, it was Oliver who found Dr. Doom, the assassin throwing one of his electrified blades at him thinking that he was just a dressed up robot. That was until the blade bounced harmlessly off his armor and he turned around. Definitely not a brainless robot. 

It had taken Oliver, Tony, and a little help from Riri and Kamala to finally subdue the doctor. Stephen portaled him straight to a holding cell in the UN building where he would await trial, and Wanda gratefully let down the shield she’d thrown up around the harbor. 

“You do well on defense,” Carol told her as they boarded the quinjet. “We’ll have to consider that in the future. Wanda practically glowed with pride and tightened her hand around a small stone she had grabbed from the harbor before they left. It had a faint scarlet glow from the shield that it had supported and was smooth from the water that had flowed over it.   
The trip back to the compound was much more subdued than the flight to Boston had been. People sat tending to minor wounds they’re received or talking in quiet murmurs to each other. The Junior Avengers were chattering excitedly in the corner while Carol and Rhodes were debriefing the UN about what had happened and tallying up the property damage. There had been more than expected on account of the military throwing a grenade, but it wasn’t anything that the Avengers would have to worry about.   
Stephen was talking with Wanda about her shield tactics and Tony was leaning against his shoulder and toying with his glasses. Steve decided that he’d approach him later about the Junior Avengers. If he tried to talk to him now he’d probably just end up getting bitch slapped by the Cloak of Levitation. 

“Hey, good job out there,” Natasha said, sitting down beside Steve. 

“Yeah, you too. You took a lot of them out,” Steve replied. 

“Well, not as many as I wanted to. I would've gotten it had it not been for Miss Marvel. That girl's got a bright future, I can tell you that,” Natasha said. 

“You wouldn’t happen to know her name, would you?” Steve asked bitterly. “I don’t see why Tony insists on keeping them from us.” Natasha was silent for a moment before opening her mouth. 

“I do know her name. She told me by her own free will. It isn’t Tony’s decision who they tell and don’t tell. He fought for their right to privacy, true, but he can’t force it upon them.” Steve gaped at her and Natasha looked out at the group in front of them. 

“She told you?” he finally asked. 

“Yeah, they all did. I’m pretty sure that you and Barton are the only two who don’t know them by now. And possibly Daredevil, they haven't officially met him yet so they don’t fully trust him,” Natasha explained. Steve felt a stab of indignation go through him. 

“What about Sam?” 

“Yup. Spider-man introduced himself to Sam after beating him in Mario Kart and the others followed suit,” she recalled. 

“Wanda?” he asked. That made Natasha consider. 

“I’m not sure. They haven't actually gotten a chance to really meet Wanda yet, so perhaps they’re still anonymous to her. Perhaps after this, they’ll tell her who they are.” 

“What about me?” Steve asked, sounding like a child even to himself. Natasha became silent once more.   
“I don’t know Steve… they don’t seem like they want to forgive you for what you did to Tony,” she said carefully. She spoke each word as if she were dealing with a child. Like she was telling a toddler ‘no’ for the first time in their life and expecting a tantrum. 

“What I did to- what do you mean?” 

 

“You really think that you and Stark and the only ones who know what happened in Siberia?” she questioned. With that, she stood up and left. Steve stared after her and looked around until his eyes landed on Frost. He knew that Tony would never talk about Siberia with anyone, and Steve certainly hasn't made a habit of bringing it up. That left only one person who Steve already knew hated him. 

“We need to talk,” he said, striding up to the spirit. 

“I highly disagree with that statement,” Frost replied loftily. “I have done my job, and you have done yours. I believe that that is all that is required of us.” 

“What did you tell the Junior Avengers about Siberia,” he whispered angrily. Frost tilted his head and looked at Steve in confusion. 

“Why would I tell them about Siberia? Do you really think that I am so cruel as to torture them with stories about their mentor and friend almost dying, scared and alone, in a frozen wasteland?”

“Well if you didn’t tell them, who did?” 

“Tony Stark,” Frost replied calmly. “After the events of the Civil War, Tony began seeking therapy. Real therapy. Not long after he opened up to those around him about what had happened. He didn’t go into details of course, but he covered the main points.” 

“Yes, and I’m sure that his story was completely unbiased,” Steve growled angrily. No wonder the Junior Avengers hated him. They’d been fed lies by Stark before even meeting Steve! 

“Had he told a false tail, I would have corrected him,” Frost said as though it were obvious. “He did not.” 

“Like I’ll believe that,” Steve hissed angrily. Frost tilted his head and looked at him with an unreadable emotion. The silver eyes seemed to be swimming with light and Steve found himself trapped. 

“You are so quick to deal out judgment, yet refuse to accept any. You remind me of someone I used to know, Mr. Rogers. For the sake of everyone here, I truly hope that your paths diverge,” Frost said before blinking and turning his back on the fuming soldier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;)


	11. Resurrection: The Girl Who Walked Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve confronts Tony, Wanda gets some stuff off her chest, and Goose!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Potential spoilers for Captain Marvel! If you haven't seen Captain Marvel than stop reading once Vision say's "You're welcome, Wanda." I'll explain what you missed in the end notes!
> 
> I know it's shorter than usual, but it is more of an interlude than a plot-moving story.

The quinjet landed as dusk was falling over the compound and they all walked out slowly. Pepper was waiting for them along with Happy, both of whom had helped make sure to clear away the paparazzi so that the Avengers would be able to go right inside and have a nice, relaxing evening. Well, as relaxing as an evening could be when Steve Rogers planned on confronting Tony Stark about a very touchy subject. Sensing Steve’s intentions, Natasha went straight up to her room after grabbing a quick dinner at the cafeteria. Sam followed her out, not wanting to be in the middle of anything, and The Junior Avengers were sent to their rooms by Tony who told them they go to bed early. 

“Stark, I need to talk to you,” Rogers said briskly. He was done with try to be nice to Tony. If Tony insisted on being difficult than Steve would match him. 

“That seems to be a common theme with you, Rogers,” Tony replied coldly as he poured himself a glass of lemonade. 

“I don’t like the idea of having child soldiers in the field,” Steve stated. “It’s going to give the Avengers a bad name, and it’s going to get minors injured.” Straight to the point. He didn’t want to waste time building up to this. 

“Fascinating viewpoint. Take it up with the UN,” Tony replied. Every muscle was tense, but he still managed to look uncaring and relaxed. It was then that Steve realized no one else was talking. Everyone else in the room was watching him and Tony, waiting to see how this would play out. 

“Tony, I’m serious,” Steve pushed. “You know who else used child soldiers? Hydra. Oliver was a child soldier, look at how he turned out! Convinced that he needs to rely on that parasitical spirit possessing a using him-” 

“Steve, just drop it,” Wanda said, laying a hand on his arms. Steve stared at her in confusion. Wouldn’t she be the most against this? 

“Wanda, you should understand what I’m trying to prevent! You of all people should know what it’s like to be forced to be a weapon for someone else, you-” 

“Made a conscious decision to join Hydra,” she finished. “Yes, I was a child. That doesn’t make my choice any less valid. And if I remember correctly, you’ve been making me out to be a kid even now. Steve, I thought that you were on my side… that you knew what was best for me and that’s why I agreed to help you. Now though, Now I’m beginning to see a very different picture.” She slowly took a step back from the shocked soldier and turned slowly until she was facing Tony. 

“Mr. Stark…”

“Please, you can call me Tony,” he said. He had no idea where this was going, or what was about to happen. 

“Tony, I owe you an apology. Well, I owe you a series of apologies, but this one is the most prominent. I shouldn’t have,” she took a gulping breath and blinked rapidly to stop the tears in her eyes from flowing over. “I am sorry that I abandoned you and the Avengers, and for the way that I’ve treated you ever since I joined in the first place.”

“It’s okay, I understand why you’d hate me,” Tony said. The words stung him to accept, but he knew it was true. Wanda had every reason to hate him. 

“I don’t… hate you anymore. I don’t like you, but I don’t hate you, and that’s more than I ever thought I’d say.” She stared resolutely at the ground while she said this, and Tony knew that if she were to have looked up he would have seen too many emotions to bare. 

“Well it’s probably more than I deserve to hear,” he responded. Wanda took a shaky breath and clasped her hands behind her. 

“I believe that it is best, for the time being, if I take a break from active duty for now. You were right, after Leipzig. I shouldn’t be on the field until people can have assurance that nothing like that will happen again. Training with Wong and Stephen will grant them that assurance.” Tony nodded while Steve looked horrified. 

“Wanda, no! They’re manipulating you into thinking that!” 

“No, Steve, they’re not. I made the decision myself. Yes, I was useful today, but there were so many times when I almost slipped and blasted a building or brought the roof down. I could have hurt someone. I could have hurt Bucky! Is that really someone you want on the field? It would only be until I complete some basic training, and I’m sure the UN will allow it.” 

“I believe that it is a good decision,” Carol said. “It’ll be a loss, but the gain will be worth it.” Rhodey nodded in agreement and Stephen smiled. 

“It’s a wise decision. Wong will appreciate the thought you put into it.” Wanda smiled and nodded. 

“I personally think some training times always good,” Tony said. “You can keep your room here, of course. Maybe finish up the painting in your downtime… Mindy Zafai came by earlier asking if you wanted any more spray paint.” 

“Thank you, Tony,” she said. 

“Well, I for one think that we should all just go get some rest. We’ve got training in the morning, and Captain Monster over here will start screaming like a banshee if we’re late,” Tony said, shooing them off to their bedrooms. 

Soon Steve was the only one left in the kitchen staring blankly at Wanda’s retreating back. He’d lost Wanda. She was on team Stark, now. Perhaps, Steve reasoned, it was for the best. He could picture it already; Wanda getting to meet the Junior Avengers face to face and having some friends a bit closer to her own age for once. Wanda and Clea both coming onto the field, both wielding powers that they knew the capacity of and could control. Movie and game night where she fit in and was at peace with family and friends. A day, maybe, that she could even try going to school if she so desired. See the world as something other than a giant battlefield. Maybe she was right to walk away. 

 

Wanda slowly climbed up the stairs, a small smile gracing her features. She slowly pushed open the door and froze when she saw a strange shape on her bed. Her hands lit up with scarlet light, and she slowly approached. She almost shot an energy beam through the wall out of shock when she saw what it was. It was a guitar. Her guitar. She’d figured that Tony had sold or burned all of their old stuff, but apparently not. He himself couldn’t have brought it in as he was in the kitchen with her. But if it hadn’t been Tony then who… 

“Vis?” she whispered tentatively. The wall glowed briefly golden as the android phased through it. 

“Wanda,” he greeted. 

“Did you do this?” she asked, gesturing to the guitar. 

“Mr. Stark texted me and told me where it was about five minutes ago. He thought that you might like to have it back,” Vision explained. She felt a few stray tears drip out of her eyes before she ran at the Android and wrapped her arms around him. 

“Thank you, Vis,” she whispered into his shirt. 

“You’re welcome, Wanda.”

 

There are many things that Peter Parker expected when he came to the compound. Tony working on some crazy invention, Kamala begging Carol to tell her another Captain Marvel story, Rogers being a douche, the usual. What he didn’t expect was to find himself watching a cat with tentacles in it’s mouth trying to eat a chair. 

“Goose!” Carol’s voice called. “Goose, put that down!” she ordered. The strange cat did not oblige, choosing instead to eat the chair and then clean it’s ears. Carol sighed in exasperation and lifted the cat into her arms. 

“Sorry about him, I told Fury that I’d watch him for the day,” she said as if that answered all of Peter’s questions. 

“What is that thing?” he asked. 

“Goose? He’s a Flerken and eats everything. Seriously, he even ate the Tesseract once!” Carol explained. 

“And he’s Fury’s… pet?” Peter asked. Carol nodded and began scratching the cat behind his ears. Peter smiled when he began purring loudly and wished once again that Aunt MAy would let him get a cat. The answer was still no. 

“Yeah, basically. Life tip: If you ever need to scare a Skrull, just hold up Goose. Especially if it’s Telos,” she said. Peter had no idea what any of that meant but nodded anyway. 

“I don’t think Pepper’s going to be too pleased with the property damage,” Peter warned, but Carol just laughed. 

“She said that as long as Goose only destroys Tony’s stuff, we’re fine. I think he’s waiting for you in the lab with Harley. Since the kid’s heading back home tomorrow he wants to spend as much time with you guys as he can.” 

 

“Yeah, I wish that Harley could stay longer. I mean, I get that he needs to go to school and stuff, but there’s a school here! It’s been good for Tony, having him around. I don't’ want all of that to reverse.” Carol looked at him curiously and then smiled. 

“You don’t give yourself enough credit. Yes, you’ve all had a hand in lifting his spirits, but you kids have done it the most. Just because one of you leaves doesn’t mean that the world is going to come to a screeching halt. Honestly, I think that you, Peter Parker, would probably be able to keep it spinning all on your own,” she said, petting his shoulder. Peter smiled and ducked his head. 

“Thank’s, Carol.” 

“No problem, Peter. Now, I’ve gotta go find this guy something other than wood to eat,” she said before carrying Goose towards the kitchen. Peter smiled before heading down towards the lab where Tony and Harley were waiting. 

“So, Peter Parker,” Steve said quietly to himself from where he stood hidden in the other room. “Time to see how his parents feel about is Avenging,” Steve said. Someone had to put a stop to this, and no one held sway over a child like their parents.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So basically Carol and Peter are goofing off and she says his full name, unknowing that Steve can hear them from the other room. Steve thinks that he'll be able to end the Junior Avengers if he finds Peter's parents and tells them about Spider-man.


	12. Resurrection: More Than You'll Ever Be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve meets May Parker, and she is not as pleased with his warning as he thought she'd be. Steve questions everything, The rogues discuss Tony's success without them, and Clint may have a chance at redemption.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry it's been so long, I've just been really busy! Hope that May yelling at Steve makes up for it.

Harley’s departure from the compound was a miserable occasion. There were lots of tears from the other Junior Avengers, and though he denied it vehemently, a few from Tony as well. All the Avengers were there to see him off as he boarded Tony’s jet, the Junior Avengers wearing masks as they had not yet revealed their identities to every member of the team (cough, cough, Steve, cough, cough) 

“You’ve gotta call tonight so that we can keep working on updates for Gina,” Riri demanded. Peter and Kamala nodded enthusiastically. 

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll call when I get home,” he said. 

“I’ll miss you, dude,” Kamala said. 

“Yeah, can’t wait for summer vacation!” Peter added. “Mr. Stark, Harley is still coming for summer vacation, right?” 

“Of course, his mother already agreed, and the UN has required training sessions scheduled for you guys anyway, so he’d have to come up at least once a week anyway,” he assured the teenagers. 

“Well, we’ll see you in a bit, Harls,” Kamala said. They had one last tackle-style group hug before Harley climbs into the plane. They all wave as the pilot takes off and Riri activates her armor and follows them for a few miles before turning around and heading back to the compound. 

“It seems to quiet without the potato gun being launched every five minutes,” Peter says glumly as the remaining Junior tinker with the circuits in the back of Gina’s neck. The robot herself sits calmly as they clean out a jam that had been causing problems. 

“Yeah, and it just seems wrong to have nothing being kept in the Ron Savior section of the workshop,” Riri added. 

“He was just beginning to memorize vines too, he probably won’t remember anything once he gets back!” Kamala complained. They continued to mourn the loss of their friend for as they finished their adjustments to Gina before heading down to the conference room where they were set to be discussing a new training regime. 

They arrived to find that everyone else was already there, Bucky sporting a new arm with the Avengers ‘A’ on the shoulder rather than the red star Hydra had chosen. Tony was looking at them with a raised eyebrow and they all grinned sheepishly as they took their seats. 

“Where’s Mr. Rogers?” Kamala asked Peter as they sat. 

“No idea, I haven't seen him since Harley left,” he replied. “He’ll probably be here soon… the meeting is required after all.” The time ticked by as the Avengers discussed the new training plan, but Steve never once made an appearance. Halfway through the meeting when Wanda and Stephen were detailing what kind of equipment worked best for magical training, the others seemed to finally be fed up with the absence of one of their own. 

“Sorry to interrupt, but has anyone seen Mr. Rogers?” Vision asked as he looked around the room. 

“No, not since Iron Savior left,” Riri replied. “We were wondering the same thing, he never misses these things.” 

“Carol, did he check in with you about missing the meeting?” Rhodey asked. He knew that he certainly hadn't been told. 

“No,” she replied with a frown, “I haven't heard from Mr. Rogers since this morning. 

“He’s not in the building, that’s for sure. FRIDAY would have made sure he ended up here if he were. Perhaps he’s training outside and just lost track of time,” Tony said. “FRIDAY do a scan of the grounds for Rogers.” 

“Mr. Rogers is not on the grounds, or on any Avengers properties,” FRIDAY reported. “I might also add that his motorcycle is missing.” 

“Why would he leave?” Natasha asked in confusion. “Sam, did he say anything to you?” 

“Nah, we haven't really been talking that much lately,” he replied with a shake of his head. They all turned to Bucky who shook his head as well. It was common knowledge that Steve told Bucky everything, so if he was hiding something from the other soldier than it must be serious. 

“Guys, this is Rogers we’re talking about. Everyone in the world knows to be wary around him, what could he possibly do?” Stephen pointed out. After a few more minutes of debate they decided that in the end, Stephen was probably correct. Peter had a tingling sort of feeling in the back of his mind as they returned their attention to Wanda and Stephen, but he pushed it to the side. It was probably nothing. 

 

Steve relished the feeling of the wind whipping past him as he drove down the busy streets of Queens. A quick search through SI files had shown him that a ‘Peter Parker’ was listed as an intern, but the file was incredibly vague about exactly what it was he did. It did contain height, weight, and a street address though, and so Steve was able to tell whether or not Spider-man fit the description, and where to find his relatives if he did. 

The super soldier pulled up to a large apartment building and checked the address once more before heading inside and climbing up the large staircase. He passed door after door and earned quite a lot of strange looks from the people he passed, but didn’t let any of them bother him. They could think what they wanted. He was on a mission. Finally, he found the door labeled with the number he was looking for and knock three times, putting the piece of paper with the address in his pocket, and clasping his hands behind his back in a highly non-threatening gesture. He heard the sound of footsteps approaching the door from the other side and looked up as a latch slid back and a young woman slid the door open. Her eyes widened when she saw Steve, and he smiled slightly. 

“Hello, are you May Parker?” he asked kindly. 

“Uh, yes, that would be me,” she replied in confusion. “I’m sorry, but what is this about?” she asked. 

“Can I come in?” Steve asked instead, not wanting to have this conversation in the hall. She looked him up and down before finally stepping out of the door and gesturing towards the couch. She got them both water and a cheese and crackers plate before sitting down and looking at him with an unreadable expression on her face. 

“Alright, what is this about?” she asked. Steve took a sip of his water to put his thoughts together and then took a deep breath. 

“Ma’am, are you guardian of a Peter Parker?” he asked. Instantly her body tensed up, and though her expression remained neutral, her eyes grew more alert. 

“Why, is he okay?” she asked. 

“Yes, he’s fine, but he's been engaging in some, er, questionable activities that I think you should be made aware of,” Steve said. May’s eyes narrowed and she stared at Steve for so long that he began to feel uncomfortable. 

“Are you trying to accuse my nephew of something? Because I’ll have you know he has never touched neither drink nor drug in his life and-” 

“I assure you, that’s not what I’m implying at all,” Steve said quickly, cutting her off. She leaned back against the couch and raised an eyebrow. “Alright then what are you saying?” she questioned. Steve sighed, this was harder than he thought. 

“YOu are aware that he is working with Tony Stark, correct?” 

“Yeah, he spends almost every weekend and afternoon there,” she confirmed with a nod. 

“Does he ever talk about what exactly it is he’s doing?” he pressed. 

“Well no, that’s classified. Look, if you’re trying to find out what he’s up to then I’m afraid I can’t help you. You should just ask Stark directly, or maybe Ms. Pots,” she said. 

“Well I hate to be the one to tell you this, but he isn’t working on any SI projects.” 

“Oh?” May questioned. 

“He’s- I hate to have to be the one to tell you this, but he’s currently being used as a soldier for the Avengers,” he said quickly. Her eyebrows shot to the top of her head and Steve got ready to calm her down only to find it unnecessary. 

“Yeah, I had a feeling,” she said. Steve felt his mouth open and close and for a few seconds, and spluttered like a fish. 

“Y-you, you what?” he asked. May smiled sadly.

“I’ve suspected for a while now. I know he’s been sneaking out at night, and he never has been good at hiding things. Believe me, I was furious at first. I wanted to march straight down to Stark industries and give that Tony Stark a piece of my mind. So I did. Peter was at school at the time, and Tony knew who I was so he let me in. I probably spent about three hours screaming at him, and he just let me.” May sighed and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Peter has no idea that I know. He still thinks it’s between him, Stark, and the Avengers. Tony and I agreed that we were going to let him make the decision to let me in on this himself when he feels ready. Now that leads me to my next question; how do you know? I know for a fact that Peter didn’t tell you. He complains about you getting to come back free every day. So, how did you find out, and why did you come here with it?” 

“Well, I heard him and Marvel talking-”

“Captain Marvel, or Miss Marvel?” she asked. Steve gritted his teeth before answering. 

“Captain Marvel. I heard them talking, but they didn’t know it was me. She used Peter’s full name, and so I found him listed as an SI Intern. Figured they were the same person. I came here to warn you that Peter was being taken advantage of and being used as a child soldier,” Steve explained. May scoffed. 

“Let me tell you something right now. My nephew is one of the smartest people I know and probably the smartest in his school. He is generous, and kind, and would never back down from helping someone, but if you think that for a second that he would let himself be turned into someone or something he’s not, then you’ve got another thing coming. And if we’re on the topic of so-called ‘child soldiers’, then maybe you’d like to talk about Maximoff, hmmm? I mean your excuse for everything she does is that she’s ‘just a kid’. Ironic, isn’t it, that the one mature, and responsible decision she makes is when she’s farthest from you.” Steve can do nothing but stare at the woman in front of him in shock as she rips into him with no mercy. She jumps from one sin to the next, leaving Steve no room to try and build a viable defense. 

“You know what? You don’t give a damn about Peter’s well being. This is just you unable to accept the fact that Tony’s moved on without you, and now has a team that actually gives a damn about his well being. That he’s now realized that good people are out there and that he doesn’t need you anymore. America’s already disowned you, and you know it. It’s only a matter of time before the Avengers do the same,” May hissed, eyes glinting. 

“Ma’am, please, I just-” 

“No. Now get out of my house before I call the police,” she growled, turning her back on him and walking to the kitchen to through the glass he’d drunk from into the trash. 

“Ma’am, I know you’re angry and you have every right to be, but you need to consider the consequences that blindly following Tony Stark through Hell or high water could have on Peter-” 

“Oh, I already know them. I’ve seen a change in Peter over the past few months. I’ve seen that boy learn to handle stress and come back home looking tired but proud. I’m not enhanced in any way. I can’t medal with time or see the future, but I can tell that his future is going to be one that I can be proud to have helped create. He is going to be a hero and a good one, which is more than you’ll ever be. Now go!” May ordered. Steve stared at her once more before doing as she said and leaving the apartment. 

 

“Steve! Where have you been!” Sam asked when he came through the door. “We’ve been looking for you all day, you missed the required training meeting, man,” Sam explained.S teve just waved him off. 

“Steve, what’s wrong?” Bucky asked carefully. 

“I spoke to Spider-man’s aunt,” he said blankly. “Tried to make her see that letting them turn a child into a soldier is wrong.” 

“And?” Bucky prompted, beginning to sense where this was going. 

“She had a few opinions on the matter herself,” Steve said. “I’m beginning to think that she might be right.” 

“Come on Stevie, it can’t be that bad,” Bucky said. Sam hung back though, not sure whether he should stick by Steve on the basis of friendship, or stand by his own opinion in the matter. 

“Do you think that Stark was better off without us?” Steve finally asked quietly. When no one could offer an answer, he continued. “I mean, look at everything he built in a matter of months, not to mention all the plans for the things he’s going to be building in the future. Plans he made without us looking over his shoulder. Look how many disaster free missions the Avengers have had in the time that we weren’t- that I wasn’t here,” he corrected. “I mean just look at how many Avenger’s there are!” he exclaimed. “This is all just- we couldn’t accomplish this much all as a group in all the years we were together. Take us out of the picture, and Stark has it done in a couple of months.” They all mulled over his words. Sam had already been putting the pieces together and reached his own conclusions, but pretended that it was all new information for Steve’s benefit. Bucky had never known what the Avengers were like before, but from what he’d heard it was far from a functioning unit. 

“You’re not wrong,” Wanda said as she stepped through a scarlet portal and into the common room. Ever since she’d mastered the art of portal creating, Stephen and Wong had encouraged her to start trying to meld the natural magic she used to create them with the powers she’d gained from the scepter. As they had hoped, it was helping to soothe her magic into something less uncontrollable and cruel. 

“W-Wanda. Hey,” Steve said in surprise. 

“Hey,” she replied. “And, you’re not wrong. Vision’s been showing me everything that Stark’s been doing with the Avenger’s initiative, and I think that you’re right. He was stronger without us. Did you know that he’s creating Avengers bases in Germany and Italy? They’re going to be for enhanced persons that live in the European Union. They’re beginning construction now, and they already have people that are going to begin training as Avengers there,” she stated. “He’s also setting up a training base for the Junior Avengers in the union as well.” 

“Well Vision certainly knows a lot,” Sam said. 

“Yes, apparently he began taking online courses to get a degree, and one of them is current events,” Wanda explained. She looked around the group and frowned. 

“Hey, where’s Clint?” she asked. 

“I’m not sure, he’s been missing all day. We thought maybe he was with Steve, but that can’t be it,” Sam said. 

“He’s with Pepper and his wife,” Bucky answered. 

“W-what?” Steve asked. He felt bad for having completely forgotten that Clint hadn’t been able to find his family. Clint had stood by him this whole time and he couldn’t even remember the man’s troubled. Steve sighed heavily. Today was just not his day. 

“Stark’s been keeping them off the radar so that they wouldn’t be harassed by the public while we were in Wakanda. He offered to bring them here when you guys got back, but Laura said that she needed time. She’s decided that she’s willing to start talking with Clint again now, so Pepper came by to bring him to the safe house,” the soldier explained. The others nodded. 

“Well, I should get back to the sanctum,” Wanda said. With that, she vanished in a flash of scarlet leaving Steve feeling slightly emptier than before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;)


	13. Resurrection: A Council of Criminals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers, Defenders, and Junior Avengers have a meeting regarding one Steven Grant Rogers, Peter is not pleased with Tony's secret-keeping, Storytime with Frost part two, and Bucky questioning his blind loyalty to Steve. ALSO: Clea and Wanda tease Stephen about his 'platonic' relationship!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So as you are going to see, this chapter is going to lead one of two paths. Let me know if you want a trial-by-council or an Avengers-based decision! (you'll understand what I mean at the end!)

Wanda panted as she closed the portal that Stephen and Wong had been having her hold open for the past twenty minutes as a test of her control. She and Clea were being tested as well, and the other woman grinned when she closed hers as well. 

“Well I’d say that that completes this part of your training,” Wong said and Stephen nodded in agreement. 

“You’ve done well with them Wong, They’re progressing faster than I expected.” 

“Well, they’re far easier than the last arrogant, immature I had to deal with,” Wong snarked back making Stephen recoil in mock offense. 

“You guys should take the rest of the day off, you’ve earned it,” Stephen said to Wanda and Clea. “Now if you’ll excuse me I’ve got to go get ready, I’ getting dinner with Tony at eight.” He began to walk away but stopped when Clea giggled and Wanda elbowed her in the ribs, a mischievous smile on her face nonetheless. 

“What is it,” the sorcerer asked suspiciously. 

“Nothing,” Clea said, still laughing. Now he was really suspicious. 

“No, really. What is it?” 

“Oh, we just noticed you’ve been spending… quite a lot of time with Stark,” Wanda said slyly while Clea continued to laugh. Stephen was beginning to see what they were getting at. 

“Oh, very mature. What, the ex-hydra agent starts a gossip column?” he asked. 

“No, Vision’s been talking about you a lot though. If Stark’s happy, then Vision’s happy, which means that I always hear about it when Stark’s happy,” Wanda replied. 

“Plus Wong’s been complaining about you always leaving when you’re needed here to hang with Stark,” Clea added. Stephen gave Wong a look of betrayal. 

“Wong! I thought we were friends!” he exclaimed. Wong just shrugged. 

“So, are you guys a thing?” Clea asked, bringing Stephen’s attention back to the conversation at hand. “I mean, you two are always hanging out, and Spider-man has been low-key shipping it this whole time.” 

“Shipping?” Stephen asked in confusion. 

“Basically he thinks you look cute together,” Clea explained. “So, are you going to confirm the rumors, or should we just keep growing them?” Stephen sighed. Tony would kill him if he confirmed or denied anything and so he was about to make the very mature decision to just portal out of the whole conversation when tapping on the window made them all look up. Frost was perched on the window sill, rapidly knocking on the glass. 

“May I enter?” he asked, voice muffled by the glass. Wanda quickly unlatched the window and the winter spirit jumped inside. 

“Frost, what’s going on?” Stephen asked. 

“In a very severe lapse of judgment, Mr. Rogers seems to have done something quite rash and may now be facing trial by the Accords Council. I felt that it was prudent to tell you.” 

“WHAT!” Wanda exclaimed. While she and Steve had their differences, he had still stuck by her through all of the trouble she caused. She didn’t want to see him put back on the Raft. “What happened?” she demanded. 

“Wanda…” Stephen warned when a bit of scarlet began to trickle to her fingertips. She nodded and forced it back into herself. Stephen nodded his approval and then turned back to Frost. 

“What happened?” 

“It seems that Mr. Rogers discovered the identity of one of the Junior Avengers through less than acceptable methods and shared it with someone that he was not authorized to. This is a very serious breach of trust and privacy, and the Avengers are currently debating whether or not they wish to take it to the council, or solve it within the team.” Stephen and Wanda paled at his words and Clea looked at them in confusion. 

“Do you know who’s identity he discovered?” Stephen asked. 

“Not entirely, but I believe it to be Spider-man. He seemed quite upset the last time I saw him, and he is usually quite cheery,” Frost responded. Wanda squeezed her eyes shut and took a calming breath. 

“This has gotten out of hand,” she said. “We have to go back for the Avengers meeting, we have to settle this,” she decided. With that, she opened another portal and walked through it to where the Avengers were getting settled around the conference table. 

 

Tony had thought that the day was going great. He’d slept through the night without any nightmares, a rare occurrence, Riri had given Gina a new program so that she seemed a bit more human when she spoke and could retain information faster like FRIDAY, and Harley had called to say that his school was getting out earlier than anticipated that year. Not to mention the fact that Stephen was taking him out to dinner that evening. So yeah, the day had been going really smoothly. That was until he got a call from May Parker. 

“May? What’s up?” Tony asked, immediately on edge. 

“It’s Peter. I tried to be considerate about it, but I think I scared him off!” she said, her voice shaking slightly. 

“Scared him off- what’s going on?” 

“Captain Asshat came to preach to me about child-soldiers and such. I wanted to ask Peter how Rogers knew his identity, but he started freaking out. I tried to break the news that Rogers and I both knew gently, but it didn’t work,” she explained. 

“Shit!” Tony yelled, making a few people look his way. “How long ago was this?” 

 

“Rogers came yesterday morning, and I told Peter today as he was over at the compound last night with the other Juniors,” May explained. “I have a feeling he’s coming back your way.” 

“All right, I’ll go find him,” Tony promised. He called the suit to him and told FRIDAY to alert the others that he was going out and was not to be disturbed. He also left a message for Riri and Kamala to stay out of sight of anyone who didn’t already know their identity for security reasons.   
“Kid, where are you?” he asked into the coms as he began to search around the area. He received no response. 

“Peter, I know you can hear me. The columns automatically turn on, and you don’t have the authorization to turn them off,” he said with a sigh. A few seconds passed by before Peter responded. 

“I’m in the woods.” Peter finally admit. 

“Alright, I’m coming to get you. Anymore running off and I’m going to have to reinstall the baby monitor program,” Tony grumbled as he dived into the small collection of trees and stepped out of the suit. Peter still had his mask on and was sitting on a tree branch like a gargoyle. 

“I heard what happened,” Tony said. “What Rogers did… it’s not okay. We all know that. He’s going to have to face the consequences-”

“You knew. You knew that Aunt May had figured out I was Spider-man,” Peter interrupted. He still hadn’t taken his mask off. “You should have told me!” he yelled. Tony was taken aback for a moment. He’d been so busy thinking about everything Steve had done wrong, he hadn’t bothered to go back and consider his own mistakes. 

“I-I don’t know what to tell you,” 

“Yeah, no shit,” Peter replied, effectively silencing Tony. He didn’t think that he’d ever heard Peter swear before. He spent the next hour trying various tactics of getting Peter to get down from the tree until finally, he had to call out Riri and Kamala. He wasn’t sure what the two Junior Avengers said to him as they made him leave the area, but within ten minutes all three of them were walking out to meet Tony. 

“Kid, I-” 

“Save it, we’ve got more important issues to handle,” Riri snapped. “Now where the fuck is Rogers!” she demanded. 

“Carol called a team meeting with all of us, and the Defenders,” Kamala reported, checking her phone. “I have a feeling things are about to get pretty intense.” 

“They better,” the ironclad teenager replied. “I don’t know about you, but if it were up to me his ass would be floating in outer space by now.” Kamala nodded in agreement, but Peter still remained silent. 

“Hey, it’ll be fine,” Kamala assured him. Peter nodded and let the two other heroes sling their arms over his shoulders as they walked back to the compound, Tony watching from a few feet above. 

That was why he now found himself sitting at the conference table with the Avengers, Junior Avengers, and Defenders. Gina was sitting slightly behind him along with a large screen that Harley was skyping on to be able to be a part of the meeting. Steve was sitting across from Tony, much to the geniuses chagrin, and kept on trying to get his attention. 

“Tony...Tony, I know you can hear me!” the super soldier hissed. 

“Rogers, I really wouldn’t recommend making this any worse for yourself. Your lucky that we didn’t send you straight to the council as is,” he replied icily. They were all surprised when Wanda portaled in, followed quickly by Stephen who took his place at Tony’s side. The Scarlet Witch chose to forego her regular seat by Steve’s side and instead made her way over to sit beside Stephen. If she saw the look of betrayal on Steve’s face, she didn’t show it. 

“Oliver & Frost should be here in a few moments,” she reported in a neutral voice. The others nodded and Carol and Rhodey both rose from where they sat at the heads of the table. 

“Well given that he already knows what’s up, I doubt he’ll mind missing the introductions,” Carol said. “Now, I’m guessing a lot of you are wondering why we’re here. We have been informed that Yesterday Steven Grant Rogers used unlawful means to discover the identity of one of our Junior Avengers, and then shared that information with an individual who was not qualified to know said information.” Carol was in ‘lawyer mode’ as Tony liked to call it, and he could tell it was getting at Steve and his friends. Sam was beginning to sweat slightly, and Bucky looked uncomfortable. Steve though just looked angry. 

“That is not what-” 

“She isn’t finished,” Rhodey said through gritted teeth. Clearly, it was taking all of his energy not to just put on the War Machine armor and blast Steve into oblivion. 

“This qualifies as both a breach of trust and privacy, and put a member of the Avengers at risk,” Carol said gravely. “Because we know the individual whom Mr. Rogers was communicating with treason has been eliminated from the equation, but should any incriminating evidence show up stating otherwise, it will be put back on. The council has, of course, been notified and have allowed us to decide whether or not we want their judgment on the case. We are here today to decide,” she finished. Sam tentatively raised a hand. 

“To decide what?” he asked. 

“To decide if Steven Rogers is fit to remain an active member of the Avengers.” 

 

There was chatter from every direction. Some in favor, some not. Riri seemed a very strong advocate for booting Steve, while Sam was demanding that he stay. Bucky remained silent but seemed to be trying t block Steve with his body from where he sat. 

“Enough!” Rhodey yelled. “The council has given us twenty-four hours to make a decision. Within that time, anyone affiliated with the Avengers will be able to look over the evidence we have and make a case should they choose. Hope Pym and Scott Lang will be arriving later tonight, and Clint Barton is on his way as well. King T’Challa will be coming tomorrow,” he explained. 

“This is ridiculous!” Steve said. “All I did was try to warn his aunt that he was being taken advantage of! And I didn’t find out his name through ‘unlawful means’, I just happened to hear someone saying it! It’s not my fault Carol talks so loud!” 

“Mr. Rogers, were you, or were you not hiding in the room beside there's?” Frost asked as he entered the conference room. “Because surveillance shows you were walking by, but stopped and hid when you heard them talking. You didn’t leave until you had gained information about Spider-man’s identity,” the winter spirit said as he took his seat. 

“Currently there is no set punishment for this, as we never dreamed that it would be a problem. Whatever we choose for this will become standard protocol for the Avengers. Should anyone ever reveal information that could potentially put another Avenger at risk or be caught with the intent of doing so, they will face whatever punishment Mr. Rogers receives. Defenders, I’m not sure what your protocols for this sort of thing are, but feel free to offer any advice as to what you believe we should do,” he added. 

“We don’t really have a ‘protocol’,” Luke Cage said. The others nodded in agreement. “I guess we’ll just go by whatever you guys decide.” 

“Very well. I believe that until we come to a decision, Mr. Rogers should be taken off of active duty, effective immediately,” Tony decided. Steve’s head jerked towards his direction. “I also believe that we should consider the fact that while revealing private information about a fellow Avenger, Mr. Rogers also told blatant lies about the organization of the Junior Avengers, insinuating that we were training child soldiers, and therefore abusing minors. I would therefore like the Avengers to consider filing a defamation suit against Mr. Rogers. Had anybody overheard his conversation with the individual whom he was communicating with, it would have been widely misinterpreted and created a distrust of the Avengers. Not to mention tarnish our name,” Tony added. Steve was staring at him, mouth gaping, while Stephen laughed quietly beside him. Everything was dead silent. 

“We will take that into consideration,” Carol said, her eyes twinkling in a way that told Tony she was proud of him. “Spider-man, is there anything you’d like to add?” Said hero was staring angrily at the table in front of him, his mask doing nothing to block off is enraged snarl. 

“How dare you speak to her… how dare you speak to her!” 

“Kid, I need you to calm down,” Tony said, reaching over and putting a calming hand on his arm. Peter turned his glare to the other hero but said nothing. Steve flinched at the chastisement but was unable to come up with any response. 

“Alright, anyone else?” Carol asked. 

“I would like to make a suggestion as well,” Natasha said, not meeting Steve’s eyes. Carol nodded to her and she stood. “I agree with Iron man that Mr. Rogers should be taken off active duty for now. I would like to suggest that he be made into a reserve Avengers until he can be seen as fit to carry the Avengers status. I have been doing my own evaluation of Mr. Rogers ever since his return from Wakanda, and I believe that he is no longer fit to be an Avenger at this time.” Everyone stared at her in shock, and even Carol looked surprised. 

“Thank you, Black Widow, we will take that into consideration as well,” she said with another nod. 

“Anyone else?” At this, Bucky stood up. 

“Guys, I think that we’re overreacting a bit. I mean yes, Steve- er, Mr. Rogers was wrong to do what he did, but this seems a bit extreme.” 

“Are seriously such a loyal dog that you’ll stand by this?” Frost asked out of the blue. 

“W-what?” Bucky asked, taken aback. The winter spirit had always creeped him out. Not just the fact that he was possessing the body of a man who Bucky himself had helped kill, but the way he seemed to know everything about him and exactly where his life would end up no matter what path he chose. 

“Mr. Barnes, the Black Widow isn’t the only one who has been making evaluations. I too have been observing those who interest me. And you, soldier, are fascinating. You have struggled for decades to break free of Hydra’s control, to be your own man. Finally, you do only to allow yourself to blindly trail after a new master like a lost puppy, tail between your legs.” Bucky looked shocked, and Steve outraged. 

“Now listen here-” the blonde began, only for Frost to hold up a hand. He wasn’t finished.

“In another lifetime I knew someone just like you. He was a powerful mage, and incredibly loyal, though his relationship was a bit more romantic than yours. He would follow his lover anywhere, do anything that was asked of him. Rumor has it he was even willing to kill for him. Then, one day, his lover asked him to do something that he never would have expected him to. He asked him to betray his nation and friends. Do you know what he did?” Frost asked. 

“What?” Wanda asked unconsciously. After Frost’s first story, she had found herself listening to more and more of them, which she and Oliver would then analyze together much to the winter spirits annoyance. She had yet to hear this one though. 

“He said no. He took a step back and looked at the big picture. Considered what lines he was willing to cross, and what lines he already had. So when war broke out and his lover went to fight against the mage’s own people, he refused to stand by his side. You are at a crossroads, Mr. Barnes, I would recommend taking a look at the bigger picture,” Frost said before leaning back in his chair. They all stared at him blankly before Rhodey cleared his throat. 

“Mr. Barnes, anything else you would like to add?” the soldier’s eyes darted around before he stiffly shook his head. 

“No,” he said quietly. 

“Alright, so we are currently looking at three different main paths as to where this can go,” Rhodey said. The first, and least likely, is permanent expulsion from the Avengers. All membership will be terminated, and your access to the compound and all Avengers owned properties will be revoked.” Steve looked like he wanted to object, but a hand on his shoulder from Sam kept him calm. “The second is a temporary leave along with basic training regarding interactions with coworkers. You would have access to the compound, but other Avengers owned properties would be off limits, and you would have your access to non-public areas restricted. The last is that you are taken to the council for a trial by them, and they decide your punishment. That is only if we can’t figure anything out ourselves. Now, Ant-man and the Wasp and only twenty minutes away, so we’ll take a brief break and meet here once they arrive.” 

They all stood wordlessly and left, Steve and Sam looking grim while Bucky just looked confused and slightly scared. Vision floated over to Wanda and she smiled brightly upon seeing the Android. 

“Hey, Vis,” she greeted him. 

“Hello Wanda, I take it training is going well? Your portal was quite spectacular,” he noted. She grinned at that and nodded enthusiastically. 

“Yeah, Wong and Stephen both agree that Clea and I are ready to start the next steps in our training. By the end of the year I think I’ll be ready to re-join the team on the field,” she reported. Her smile faded as she realized that Steve might not be there when she did.

“Do you really think they will kick Steve off of the Avengers?” she questioned. Vision sighed. 

“I cannot say… Mr. Rogers has changed. I believe that he was already on the unstable ground after the shock of coming back from the ice only to be thrown into the Battle of New York right after. Then the whole Ultron fiasco and learning that Mr. Barnes was alive and an assassin for Hydra, and now this? I believe that the Steve Rogers who used to try to stand up to bullies in back alleyways and was viewed as so worthy of the serum faded away somewhere between New York, and the Civil War. We cannot just blame him for that, no we had a hand as well. S.H.I.E.L.D, for not giving him a chance to adjust. The Avengers, for not realizing that he needed more help than they were giving him. Barnes, for allowing him to continue living in the illusion that everything is as it should be.” 

Wanda was watching him with wide eyes and Vision was reminded of speaking to Ultron about humanity. How he had managed to find the words without even knowing what he was trying ot say. He supposed it was the mind stone that allowed him to do that. 

“Do you think he could be helped?” she asked. 

“I believe so. He just doesn’t realize he needs to be. None of us do.” With that Vision tentatively reached out and intertwined their fingers. Wanda smiled and they both headed towards the door after Stephen and Tony.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what kind of trial you want in the comments!


	14. Resurrection: For almost Eighty Years

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter feels guilty, Steve feels guilty, Tony feels great, and T'Challa likes the way Vision thinks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Long time no update! I'm afraid that Peter and Tony don't talk in this chapter (I know a lot of you wanted that) but I promise that they'll make up soon! They just had different schedules, that's all.

Peter stared glumly out the apartment window. After the initial meeting about Steve’s betrayal of Peter’s trust, they had all agreed that it would be best to send him home so that he and May could work things out. She had not been pleased with him. While she had already known his secret, she was still hurt that he had lied and that even his friends had known before her. He had planned on not mentioning that other, but apparently, Mindy Zafai had been at the compound when May had gone to yell at Tony and had filled May in on everything she didn’t know. 

Peter was now grounded for a month, and Spider-man was to be benched for two weeks. He would be allowed to go to the compound for the Captain America related meetings given that he was the victim of the whole affair, but other than that, he was out for the next two weeks. He had remained silent as May had yelled and finally delivered her verdict. Then hed slunk off miserably to his room and was now staring glumly out his window at the city beyond. He sighed and turned off his light before crawling under his covers and curling up into a ball. 

He only got about ten minutes of pout in the dark before a light tapping woke him up. He poked his head out from under his blankets to see Ironheart floating outside of his window. 

“Riri, what the hell?” he asked as he opened the window. 

“Come up to the roof,” she said through her mask. Peter looked around before turning back to Riri and shaking his head incredulously. 

“Are you kidding me? I just got grounded for the next month, along with having my Spider-man privileges taken away for the next two weeks! I can’t go out!” Riri crossed her arms and sighed impatiently. 

“I’m not asking you to go on patrol, I just need to talk to you. In private,” she said. “Just get out here, I’ll be on the roof,” she said before flying upward. Peter sighed and checked once more to make sure that May was asleep before clamoring out the window and scaling the side of the building. 

When he got to the roof of the building, Riri was waiting. When she saw him she flipped her faceplate back and gave him a tight smile. 

“What’s going on, Riri, did something happen?” he asked nervously. She sighed. 

“Not what you’re thinking, no. Rogers is still contained at the compound, and he hasn’t bothered anyone since. I think he’s starting to see what a shitstorm this is really turning out to be for him. I’m here about Tony.” Peter immediately tensed up. He had a feeling he knew where this was going. 

“What about Mr. Stark, did something happen?” he asked. 

“No, he’s about the same as when we left. Not that that’s good though… he took this pretty hard too. Not to mention the fact that now both of you aren’t talking to the other.” 

“What do you mean? If he needs me for something he can still call-” 

“That’s not what I’m talking about, and you know it. I know you’re mad that he didn’t tell you that May knew your secret-” 

“I had a right to know! It’s my secret, and he told her!” Peter yelled. Riri sighed deeply and rolled her eyes. 

“I knew I should have sent Kamala… you are aware that you would have been just as angry had he told you, right? Either way, we’d still be having this conversation.” 

“So?” Peter asked, knowing that Riri would be able to rip apart any argument he could possibly create. 

“So I don’t see why we can’t just put this whole thing aside and just get on with our lives,” she said crossly. “I’ve been down in the lab all day working with Tony on Gina, and all he does is mope. I thought it was bad when Harley went back home for the rest of the school year, but this is a new level of brooding,” she added. Peter looked down guiltily. 

“I- I don’t want him to be mad at me,” he admit. Riri looked at him in disbelief. 

“Seriously? In what dimension does that make sense? I’ll ask Dr. Strange, but I really don’t think a dimension where that makes sense,” she said. Peter just shook his head. 

“I mean, I wasn’t exactly nice to him in the woods. I’m not sure if you were there yet, but I kinda swore at him,” Peter admit. 

“Dang, that’s rough,” Riri admit. 

“See! I mean… he’s done so much for me and that’s what I do? And what’s worse is I’m still mad. I’m still angry at him for not telling me that May knew when I know full well that it wasn’t an option. Whenever I think about it, I just get mad!” he said angrily. 

“Peter, that makes sense. Just… try to talk to him tomorrow. We’re all being called back to the compound to continue discussing the Rogers Situation, and so grounded or not, you’re required to be there.” 

“I know,” Peter agreed. “I’ll talk to him I promise,” said. Riri nodded, satisfied, before flipping her faceplate back down. 

“See you tomorrow,” she said before souring back in the direction of the compound. Peter sighed and climbed back down the side of the building and into his room. 

 

Steve glowered at the closed door of the public training room. His ‘inactivity’ status kept him locked out of the private room for enhanced persons, and so he found himself in the main room. He pushed it open to find that a few people were already there. Miss Marvel was practicing control over fighting techniques with her new abilities with Carol, while Natasha and Oliver were sparring on the far mats. Steve wasn’t quite surprised to see them. What he did find strange, was Pepper Potts. She seemed to be going over something on her SI pad, and would occasionally ask a few of the training Avengers some questions. Miss. Marvel would always answer with a grin, while Carol smiled fondly. 

“Pepper! Steve said as he made his way over to her. He hadn’t gotten to see her much since his return. She hadn’t been all that pleased to see him at first, but she had done nothing but congratulate the rogues on their good integration during her press statement after their first mission. Steve took that to mean that she had gotten over her anger at him. 

“Mr. Rogers,” she greeted. The second that Miss. Marvel realized who was coming over, she quickly turned her head away and headed over to the training mats with Oliver and Natasha. Steve didn’t expect the juniors to appreciate what he’d been trying to do for Peter, but it still bothered him. 

“It’s good to see you, Pepper. It’s been a while.”

“Yes, it has,” she agreed. She didn’t seem all that sorry about it though. “Is there anything I can help you with, Mr. Rogers?” she questioned. Her expression was neutral and had Steve been just a little bit smarter, he would have known that that meant danger. 

“You know you can call me Steve,” he said. Pepper nodded once. 

“I can call you anything I see fit,” she replied. “Though, may things are not fit to be heard by children,” she added with a gesture towards Miss. Marvel and Oliver. Steve was beginning to sense that he was not as welcome as he thought he was. 

“Pepper, I don’t understand… I thought we were okay,” Steve stated, slightly hurt. Pepper tilted her head slightly, regarding him with the same, neutral expression that had terrorized many an annoying stalk holder before. 

“I have no idea what gave you that impression, but I’ll make sure not to do it again,” she said coldly.

“But on TV you said that you were glad we were back, that you thought the ‘rogues’ were integrating well,” Steve argued. Pepper smiled now, and she shook her head with a cold laugh. 

“Steve, that was propaganda. I was required to say something like that, whether I believed it or not. I will admit, I did believe what I said. You’ll notice, though, that I said ‘rogues’ and not ‘team cap’. You see, I believe that the others were doing as well as could be expected. Natasha was making an effort to restore her friendship with Tony, and Wilson was someone that I could tell I could trust. Bucky didn't pose any issues, and even Wanda wasn't raising too many problems. Especially once she made the decision to train with Stephen and take a break from the field… at this point she almost qualifies as a full-fledged Avenger in my mind,” Pepper said. “You though? You didn’t change at all. Natasha makes an effort every day to be less of the double agent she’s so used to being and allow people to see her. Wilson tries to clear the bad blood between him and the rest of the Avengers every time he offers to help Rhodey with physical therapy when Tony is on a mission, or being forced into a board meeting. Even Clint is trying to fix things with his family. I have a feeling that you aren't aware, but he came back last night to make an in-person apology to Tony for how he’d treated him after finding out just how much he’d done for Laura and the kids. An in-person apology without a single bull-shit excuse about ‘locks being replaced’ and ‘faith in people’,” she snapped, her voice slowly getting louder. “You see, they are all at least attempting to change. To make up for their mistakes. You though? You haven't changed a bit. You still refuse to take responsibility for the damage you inflict, not just property damage, but to your teammates. You haven't offered Tony a proper apology for anything that matters, you haven't tried to make amends with the others, you’ve screwed Spider-man over and then tried to pretend that it was in his best interest, you haven't even tried to apologize to Oliver for killing him,” Pepper hissed. “No Rogers, you haven't integrated well at all.” 

“Pepper, you don’t have all the informant-” 

“Don’t even try it. Ever since you and your little posse decided to start wreaking havoc, I decided that the Avengers would need more oversight than Tony or the UN could provide. Had you actually read your packet on the New Avengers, you’d know that I am the official ambassador to the Avengers Initiative, and hold an honorary position in the council.” She let that information sink in before continuing. 

“I like to think that I’m fair with my power. I don’t give Tony whatever he wants purely because he’s Tony. I’m willing to work with people I don’t like, and I do things solely for the purpose of bettering the Avengers, not my standing in the world or a single person. With that being said, it has come to my attention that what’s best for you, may no longer be what’s best for the team. The Avengers need to function like a well-oiled machine; no hiccups, and no screeching halts. If I find that you hinder that performance, then I will be forced to approach the Council with The Delta Initiative, a project which many already view fondly.” 

“The Delta Initiative?” Steve asked in confusion, still trying to comprehend the true extent of Pepper’s anger. 

“The Delta Initiative. The fourth, and hopefully final, stage of the Avengers. The first was the original Avengers that Fury created and who fought Loki in New York. The second was those who fought in the Civil War. That third was the New Avengers, a system that has yet to fail us. The Delta Initiative is what will happen if that changes. If you break the New Avengers,” pepper said, a dangerous edge to her tone. 

“Now if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do. I was just taking Miss Marvel’s statement for how she thought her training as a Junior Avenger was going, but it appears that you’ve scared her off.” With that Pepper turned on her heel and left. Steve looked up to that indeed both Marvel-named heroes were gone, and that Natasha and Oliver were staring at him The ex-spy was wearing an unreadable expression, while the ex-Hydra assassin looking like he was on the verge of a panic attack. 

“Kid,” Steve began, taking a step towards Oliver. Within a second, Frost had taken over. 

“What the- oh. Now I see,” the winter spirit said, clearly not expecting to have been thrust into control. “You know, it isn’t easy to drag him back out of the mind palace once you’ve chased him in,” he said in annoyance. 

“Frost. Can you tell Oliver that I’m sorry?” Steve asked. He thought that he must sound sincere as he truly was sorry. He hadn’t realized that civilians had been hurt, and it had never been his intention to kill. Even if Oliver had been responsible for countless murders, he had deserved to die so horribly. 

Frost stared blankly at Steve, and the super soldier shivered slightly as the temperature dropped to thirty degrees. Slowly Frost’s face began to shift, and suddenly there was blood dripping down his face from deep gashes in his head. He slowly shrugged off the top have of his suit so that his torso was exposed, revealing a large scar in his abdomen. A scar that was slowly opening and gushing dark blood. Steve could practically see the metal bar that had been there before. 

“You’re sorry, are you?” Frost asked, his voice echoing. Steve flinched and cast his eyes down, but apparently, that was the wrong move. 

“Don’t you dare look away! You did this! Look me in the eye and tell me you’re sorry again, I dare you!” the spirit yelled. Natasha began to back away but did not reach for a weapon. Clearly she trusted Frost more than Steve had expected. 

“Frost! A voice said, and they all turned to see Tony striding across the training room. He was wearing his signature shades and a designer uniform which made his presence all the more intimidating. 

“Frost, stand down. Rogers, you’re wanted in the conference room,” he said. His voice held the same cold indifference as Pepper’s expression had, and Steve had to use all his will power not to flinch away. 

“Tony, I-” 

 

“I don’t care,” Tony said simply. “Just be there or Carol will be even angrier at you than she already is. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a date to get to,” he said. With that, he turned and walked away. 

“I’d recommend listening to him,” Natasha suggested. “Carol’s already pissed off at you, and from what I’ve gathered, T’Challa is going to be there as well,” she said. Steve nodded sullenly and stumbled back out of the training room, the past ten minutes finally catching up with him. Pepper’s words had cut deep and Oliver’s scars… Oh God, the scars… he’d fucked up. Pepper was right, Sma was making an effort to help Rhodey, and Steve had a feeling that the two would end up becoming closer than he and Sam had ever been. Wanda had left im to train with Strange and Clea, and even Bucky seemed to be considering Frost’s words from their last meeting every time Steve tried to get him to do something with him, the other soldier always had an excuse. If Pepper was right, which she always was, then Clint had been at the compound the previous night and hadn’t even said hi to Steve. He’d been there solely to apologize to Stark for joining Steve in the first place. As Steve reached the door, Tony’s words fully caught up with him and he turned. 

“Who’s Tony going on a date with?” he asked with a furrowed brow. Natasha raised her eyebrows but sighed and crossed her arms. 

“He and Strange are getting dinner like usual, but this time they’re finally admitting the fact that it’s a date,” she replied easily. “But if you ask any of the juniors, they’ve been dating for the past month.” Natasha stopped and considered before adding, “that goes for Clea and Wanda too.” Steve nodded numbly and continued out the door. Tony’s life had changed so drastically, and he hadn’t even known it. 

 

T’Challa was sitting at the conference table with Captain Marvel, War Machine, Okoye, three of the Dora, and Spider-man. Ironheart was scheduled to arrive shortly with Miss. Marvel, and the Iron Savior was looped in via video chat. 

“Your majesty, thank you for coming,” Carol said with a slight bow. 

“Please, call me T’Challa, and there is no need for any of that,” he said. What was it with this country and formalities? They were even worse than Ross. 

“Very well, T’Challa,” Carol said. “I assume you’ve been made aware about why we’re here?” she asked. T’Challa nodded, as did Okoye. She had been disgusted to learn about what had taken place within the time between their last meeting in the compound, and their call back to the city. 

“Yes, we were shocked to hear about Mr. Rogers’ behavior,” T’Challa said. 

“As were we,” Carol said in a way that suggested that she was not surprised at all. “As you also know, the council has given us twenty-four hours to solve this ourselves. If we fail to come up with an acceptable punishment and solution, then the council will hold their own trial to decide Mr. Rogers fate. We’ve already been in contact with the Defenders, and the Junior Avengers have made their opinions very clear,” she said as said juniors filed into the room, “so we decided it was time to get your statement.” 

“With all due respect, why T’Challa’s? I thought this wasn’t in the council's hands yet,” Steve said in confusion. 

“Well it hasn’t been made into an official announcement given all that’s currently happening, but about two days ago the paperwork finished pending and T’Challa’s application was accepted. The Black Panther is now an Avenger,” Rhodey said. 

“About time, too,” Okoye agreed. T’Challa smiled slightly and nodded to Rhodey. 

“As a council member and Avenger, I have taken time to consider the matter. I believe that for now, Mr. Rogers should be pulled from active duty and given a psychological evaluation immediately, “he stated. Carol raised her eyebrows, awhile Steve looked outraged. 

“Psychological- what are you trying to insinuate!” he demanded. T’Challa took a deep breath before continuing. 

“Upon my arrival, I was greeted by the Vision who filled me in on the meeting so far. He had a very interesting theory which I believe to be correct Mr. Rogers, you were unfrozen by S.H.I.E.L.D and sent straight into the field. You then were made the leader of a unit composed of mostly incompatible people, all of whom were in no shape to help you adjust to the times or deal with your own frazzled mental state. You have been thrown from battle to battle, unable to ever get a grip on reality as it has barely existed for you since the forties. So yes, I believe that a psych evaluation would be beneficial.” Steve looked shocked while the others nodded thoughtfully. 

“You can’t- you can't be serious!” 

“I’m afraid I am. I would suggest allowing whoever is in charge of his treatment decide how long he should be out of action, or if he should even return.” Steve stared at the king in shock while Carol nodded in consideration. 

“Thank you, T’Challa, your input has been most helpful. We’ll get in contact with someone right away about an evaluation,” she agreed. Miss. Marvel stuck her tongue out at Steve as the juniors left, and Harley flipped him the bird from the computer screen. Steve leaned back in his chair and let out the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding for almost eighty years.


	15. Resurrection: The Story Teller

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor and Loki, The results of Steve's evaluation, Peter and Tony talk it out, Clint has some closure, and Wanda might have a solution to her unstable magic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry, this one's kind of short, I'm going to Iceland next week and so I had to designate my writing time to pack today. That being said, I will probably not be able to update next week given that I will be out of the country, but I'll try. 
> 
> AND: My original story that I took Frost (Orûk) from is now up on my account under the name A Trinity Divided! So if you want to understand a few more of my references or make me super happy, than please check it out! 
> 
> ALSO: The google doc that I type this on has reached 100 pages, so yay!

When Thor arrived back on Midgard, Loki in tow, there were many mixed feelings. It was easily proven that Loki had been under Thanos’ control and had not attacked New York out of any will of his own, a quick peek into his mind by Wanda had confirmed that. Many people were slow to trust the trickster, and Tony giving him permission to stay in the compound was much debated by the council. 

“Stark!” Thor called when he saw Tony exiting his lab. “I have been looking for you, I wish to thank you for the compassion you have shown my brother, not many would be willing to offer him shelter after New York,” the god of thunder said. 

“I-it’s nothing,” Tony assured him. He left out the fact that he had gone out of his way to avoid Loki at all costs, even going as far as to have FRIDAY create a separate program to keep eyes on the god of mischief at all times. 

“I am grateful, though. I am also sorry to have not been here to help settle your conflict with the rest of the team… It is not something that I expected would happen,” he admit. 

“Well, it was bound to go wrong eventually. Might as well be over a worthy cause,” Tony replied. Thor nodded solemnly. 

“So… Asgard's going to be on Earth now,” Tony said as an attempt to move the conversation to a topic other than the Civil War. 

“Yes, we are currently working with your ‘UN’ to secure ourselves a place in Norway,” Thor said happily. Tony took that to mean that the talks were going well. “And do not worry, I am almost through reading your ‘accords’ and will be signing within the week,” he assured the engineer. 

“You wouldn’t happen to if… if Loki would be willing to do the same?” Tony asked carefully. He hadn’t been excited about it, but he had realized that Loki would be a real asset to the team. Thor’s face split into a grin. 

“My brother would be more than happy to oblige!” Thor said eagerly. Clearly, he had been hoping that Loki’s involvement in the Avengers Initiative would be talked about. 

“Great, great, I’ll have a copy sent his way. Have you two gotten a chance to look over the Rogers Problem yet?” Tony asked. Thor’s face darkened at that. 

“Yes, I have heard a lot about Rogers betrayal of the young spider,” he said. “I assume that the Avengers will be responsible for his punishment?” 

“The council has agreed to let us make the main call,” Tony agreed. “It’s messy business, but it has to be done. Completely ruined date night,” he grumbled the last part but could tell that Thor could still hear him by the smirk on the other Avengers face. 

“Well, I will be there with you when it all goes down. I have had the pleasure of meeting some of the new members of the team… Loki has taken an interest in Frost & Oliver,” he said. “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about him, would you?” Tony sighed. 

“Not much… I honestly haven't really spoken to him one on one that much. He isn’t from here, that’s for sure. A different planet at least, and there’s a good chance that he’s even older than you,” Tony said. “If you want information on him, then I’d recommend going to Wanda. They ‘ve been spending a lot of time together ever since she started training with Stephen, she probably knows as much as Oliver,” he offered. Thor nodded. 

“Thank you. I believe that I know a bit about where he hails from, but I cannot be sure. I was unaware that you and Maximoff were on a first name basis,” Thor said thoughtfully. 

“We weren’t, still aren't really, but it’s easier now than before,” Tony mused. They both looked up at the sound of footsteps. Just then Spider-man came running around a corner Miss. Marvel close behind. 

“You idiot!” she said. Tony realized what was going on within a second upon seeing the silly string in Kamala’s hair, and the spray can in Peter’s hands. The Spider-man quickly hid behind Thor, who was watching the whole thing in a mix of confusion and amusement. 

“Miss. Marvel, Spider-man, what’s going on?” Tony asks. 

“He- silly string- prank war,” Kamala panted out. Peter was still cowering behind Thor’s legs, and Tony just couldn’t help himself anymore. He burst out laughing at the ridiculous sight before him, and Kamala glared at him. 

“This isn’t funny!” she argued. 

“I’m sorry, but that’s so far from true,” he said through his laughter. Kamala huffed, but Tony could see her beginning ot smile. 

“I’ll be getting you back, Spider-boo,” she said before leaving to get the silly string out of her hair. 

 

“Spider-boo?” Thor questions. 

“Yeah… she’s working on nicknames for the rest of you guys too. You have been warned,” Peter said. 

“I shall be on the lookout then. Now if you’ll excuse me, I must find my brother and tell him the good news!” he said with another smile at the two Earthians before heading back up to the room where Loki was staying. Peter and Tony were the only ones left in the hall. 

 

Peter shifted awkwardly from foot to foot and cleared his throat. 

“I’m, uh, I’m sorry about swearing back in the woods. I- I didn’t have any right to be angry at you. You didn’t have a choice, it was a lose-lose situation. I just made it worse i’m sorry Mr. Stark,” Peter rambled. He stopped immediately when the other hero held up a hand. 

“Kid, it’s fine. I should have given you some warning. If I’m being honest, I should have made you tell May in the first place. There were mistakes made on both ends.” Peter nodded, but he still looked nervous, and Tony sighed. 

“Riri told me what you said. That you thought I’d be angry at you… seriously? I’ve treated people way worse in my life, and the swearings nothing. Who do I look like, Captain America?” he said in an attempt to lighten the mood. Just then a portal opened up and Stephen walked through. 

“Glad you two made up, Tony wouldn’t stop grouching about it all through dinner. Completely ruined our date,” he said. Tony gave Stephen a glare while Peter tried to hide a laugh. 

“Were you spying on be?” he asked in mock betrayal. 

“Maybe,” was the smug reply. Tony groaned in annoyance. If Stephen were spying through portals, then that meant that Clea was probably watching as well. “I just came to tell you that Mr. Rogers has been released from his psych evaluation,” he said. Tony tensed and Peter straightened. 

“And?” Tony asked. 

“And they think Vision was right. It was just too much to fast with no proper help. There’s nothing wrong with him per se, they don’t have an official diagnosis besides PTSD which only makes up about half of it, but you get the picture.”

“What do they recommend?” Tony questioned. 

“They agree with our decision to pull him from the field and are suggesting that the council look into Project Delta. They believe that it may be best for Rogers to just start fresh with a different team once he is cleared for duty once more.” 

“Has the council been alerted?” 

“Yes, and they are reviewing the matter and getting statements from all the doctors involved. If this goes through, then Delta will be a go. According to Pepper, it will be made up of multiple, smaller teams. They want you leading one of them.” Tony sighed. 

“What about Rogers punishment? Where will he be kept?” Tony asked. 

“He will remain at the compound, but he has been cut from all restricted access rooms, and has lost all Avengers privileges until he is cleared once more. He has also been issued a warning from Carol and Rhodey; if he bothers any of the junior Avengers or tries to interact with them off of the field, he will be booted.” Tony nodded in agreement. It was less then he would have liked Rogers to suffer, but it was better than nothing. 

“Well, that’s great!” Peter exclaimed. “Now we won't have to deal with him anymore! Do you think that we can have that warning extended to keep him away from May sawell? I don’t want him to bother her again,” he explained. 

“I’ll talk to the council,” Tony promised. He had a feeling that even if the council refused Steve would have the sense to stay away. It seemed to reassure Peter all the same, because he nodded happily and took out his phone, presumably to text the other juniors and Aunt May. 

 

Oliver sat perched on a chair in the common room. Everyone else was busy, and so he thought he’d take the unexpected quote time to catch up on some reading. He was so focused on the book he barely heard it when a portal opened behind him with a swoosh, and Wanda stepped out. 

“Oliver,” she said. He slowly put the book down to look at her. 

“Wanda,” he greeted. “How’s the training going?” Wanda nodded her head as if considering. 

“It’s better than I thought it would be. This is actually about the training,” she added cautiously. Oliver was immediately on alert. 

“What is it?” Wanda sighed and sat down. 

“My magic is mostly stabilized, but it’s like the last piece won’t fit, it still lashes out and reacts whenever I get emotional,” she said in frustration. As if on cue, scarlet sparks ricocheted from her fingers and bounced around the room. 

“Well according to Frost that’s quite normal for powerful sorcerers. One of his old friend’s magic always manifested itself into a physical form,” Oliver offered. 

“I know, he’s told me the stories. This is different though, I have no control over it. Silven’s powers sometimes escaped his being, but they never hurt anyone. Not like mine is trying to. Wong thinks that it’s because of the way I got them rather than their true nature,” she explained. 

“Hydra,” Oliver said, beginning to see where this was going. 

“Hydra,” Wanda agreed. “He thinks that I need to accept what happened. That it will help calm them. Apparently, that’s best down through talking, so…” 

“So you figured I’d be the best person to do that since I was with Hydra as well,” Oliver finished. 

“I know our stories were different. I chose Hydra while you were raised into it, but you are the only person I know that I knew back then too. I would have gone to Bucky, but I didn’t even know he existed when I was with Hydra. I don’t think it would be the same.” Oliver sighed and nodded. 

“Okay. What do you need?” he asked. Wanda smiled slightly. 

“Frost tells you all of his stories from Enexion, right?” 

“Yeah, I hear a lot. I don't’ know about all of them, he is quite old, but I know most of the important ones.” 

“Now I need you to hear mine. Hear it, and remember,” she said. Oliver nodded and got comfortable in his seat as Wanda took a deep breath, and began to talk. 

 

Steve sat on his bed as he stared blankly at the walls around him. He never had decorated his room in the compound. Maybe a part of him had still been holding out hope that Tony would give him his old room back. Maybe he just didn’t have any inspiration left for art. That was a sad thought, but then again, it was a sad time. 

The evaluation had left Steve feeling drained and confused. The doctors had all been very nice to him, but he could tell that they were nervous around him. Around the man that had broken the Avengers. He was set to meet with a therapist the next day, and he couldn’t tell exactly how he felt about that. While he was not pleased to be off duty, he knew that it was for the best. Perhaps after this, Tony would see reason to allow Steve back into his inner circle. Yes, this was all for the best, he told himself. A light knock on the door broke him from his thoughts and he looked up to see Clint standing in the doorway. 

“Mr. Rogers,” the archer said with a nod. 

“Mr. Barton,” Steve replied. He couldn't’ be sure where he and the archer stood. Not after everything that had gone down. 

“I just came to pick up my things and thought I should say goodbye,” he said. Steve was taken aback. 

“Pack up… you’re leaving?” 

“Yeah, Laura and I have to work things out and I think that it would be for the best if I hung up the bow for real this time. Stark found us another safe house that Ross can’t get to, so we should be fine. Besides, I’ve already picked out a prodigy that I’m going to train on the farm to be my replacement.” Steve nodded. 

“I heard you’re getting some help. That’s a good thing,” Clint said with a nod. “I think I should give it a try. Laura thinks it’s a good idea. Especially if it’s true that Loki’s going to be sticking around.” Clint seemed strangely calm about Loki being back. Far more accepting than Steve had been to the idea. 

“That doesn’t bother you? I mean what he did to you-” 

“Was exactly what this ‘Thanos’ did to him. According to Wanda he was even more messed up than me,” Clint said. “We’ll never be friends, him and I, but I can understand what he went through. You guys didn’t put me in prison for what I did under mind control, and so I don’t think they should do it to him either.” Steve let the information sink in and nodded slightly as Clint headed back out the door. 

“The Clint I knew would never have said that,” he said. Clint smiled sadly and turned back around to face Steve. 

“He also abandoned his family to help multiple armed fugitives hide from the law. I think we can both agree that he needs some work,” he said. With that, Clint left, and Steve was left watching him leave.


	16. Resurrection: Here We Stand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve reflects, and Sharon finally gets her comeuppance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry about the delay, but for one week I was on a class trip to Iceland, and the next was spent mourning Endgame. Don't worry, no spoilers! We're getting close to the end, and this is one of the last chapters. With that being said, I am thinking of writing an Endgame fix it one-shot based in this universe, so let me know what you think. Also, be sure to check out 'A Trinity Divided'! Love you all!

Kate Bishop was interesting. She was similar to Clint in more ways than just her archery skills, but just not the same. She got along well with the other Junior Avengers, who had also accepting Wanda into their ranks as she was technically an Avenger in training as well. Neither of them was like how Steve remembered them. Then again, a lot wasn’t how he thought it was. His time away from the field had allowed him to step back and really look at his team. 

Natasha, he now truly understood, had never been on his team. When she had said it to him before he had thought she was just angry, but it was true. While she had personally liked Steve better, her values aligned with Tony’s, and she would always agree with him over Steve in matters such as the accords. Sam, while an extremely loyal friend, had morals that would never have allowed him to join Steve’s side had the actually read the accords. Bucky was the same. It seemed that he had ended up hurting both of his best friends in an attempt to save them. He was beginning to see that now. Scott had only followed him out of hero-worship, and that was all. Had he not been so starstruck by the Captain America name, then he would have stayed back with his daughter and girlfriend. Clint would have done the same. 

Wanda… Steve wasn’t sure what to think about Wanda. When he had first heard about her he had thought them the same. Two young soldiers who had taken on a burden in order to fight a war. Perhaps he should have considered that Wanda had known full well what Hydra was and had acted with malicious intent. Maybe he shouldn’t have enabled her to make mistakes and not take responsibility. To downplay everything she did as the actions of a child. There was a lot he should have done differently, he supposed. Quite a lot. 

Steve would be the first to admit that he had wronged Tony Stark. He knew it. Had known it when he’d walked out of Siberia with Bucky. He thought he had anyway. Now though? Now he really knew. He could think back to every meeting where he’d mocking the other man while taking everything that he offered and some things he didn’t. He could pinpoint every moment he lied about where the resources he had used to search for Bucky were going. The moments he compared him to Howard, and the moments he alienated him from the rest of the team. Those moments were the ones that he realized now had ended up hurting the other man more than anything he had done on Siberia. 

 

It had been four months since Steve had been cut from active duty and begun speaking with the professionals that the council had hired to help him. Within those four months, Steve had come to realize all of these things. He still stood firmly the belief that he had needed to break the accords to save Bucky. That was a fact that no one would ever be able to change. The rest though? He was beginning to see it a bit differently. 

After two months, he had begun apologizing. Real, genuine, apologize. He had started with Natasha. She had seemed glad that he was beginning to see things for what they were and told him that while she still did not fully trust him, she was over being angry. Next were Sam and Clint, both of whom were willing to let him back into their good graces but warned him that that could easily change should he revert back to acting how he did during the Civil War and onward. 

Bucky and Wanda had been a bit harder to figure out how to apologize to. With Bucky, he still wasn’t quite sure what he’d done. He just knew that he felt guilty about something. He told the other soldier as much and had gotten a smile and nod in return. It was at that point that he realized the Frost had been right; Bucky would never fault him for anything. He was beginning to think that that wasn’t a good thing. 

Wanda had been a bit more difficult. Her time away from the Avengers had also given her a larger worldview as well. She had still allowed Steve to make his case and told him that she would be able to forgive him eventually. She just needed more time. 

Peter Parker had just slammed the door in his face when he’d tried to talk to him, and the other Juniors had had a similar reaction. He had noticed that Gina had been slightly less aggressive towards him, but she still kept him well away from Tony’s rooms. Steve wasn’t too surprised by this, and he wasn’t surprised when Frost & Oliver wouldn’t let him near them either. 

Tony had been the hardest. He knew that he owed the most to Tony given everything that had happened. That was why he had found himself waiting in the common room for Tony to come and get another late night cup of coffee so that he could stay up and work on more suit designs in his workshop. 

“Tony,” he greeted. 

“Rogers,” Tony replied curtly.

“I- I’m here to apologize. Not for Siberia, or for disagreeing over the accords… I’m sorry about the little things. For the way, I treated you before all this. For enabling the others to do the same. I- I was wrong, and I think I’m starting to see that now,” he managed to force out. The entire time Tony was just watching him with a strange expression on his face, head tilted like a cat observing something interesting. 

After a moment of just staring Tony gave a small chuckle and walked back down to the lab. Steve stared after him, perplexed. It hadn’t been a mean laugh, and he hadn’t seemed angry. He had just walked away. Later that day a letter was delivered to his door by Gina, who was beginning to act far more human with all of her new coding. 

~  
Rogers,

After everything that has happened, after everything we’ve said and done, I can’t say that I’m surprised that you decided to apologize. I believe that you will be equally unsurprised to hear that I do not forgive you. For some reason, I don’t think that it was forgiveness that you were after, as you have never needed it in the past. 

Locks can be replaced, and while most of them have been, I just can’t seem to make myself fill the last mold. The world needs Steve Rogers, and whether I like the fact or not, so does the Avengers Initiative. For that reason, my door will never be permanently shut, but it won’t be wide open either. I suppose that’s always how it’s been for us though. While you once said that your faith lies with individuals, I must say that my own does not. It’s in people. Groups. One person can’t carry the world all on their own. A team though, they might be able to make it work. With that in mind, I would like you to know that I agree with the council's decision to move forward with the Delta Initiative. Should you decide that you want to be put back in active duty, you will be given your own team which will consist of Kate Bishop, Clea, and Bucky Barnes, and Sam Wilson 

You will probably be surprised to know that I was the one who recommended you as a team leader. While the old system of the Avengers was not in my favor most of the time, it did work well for the outside world. You were a skilled leader, and I believe with what you know now perhaps you could manage to make it all work out. 

I do not forgive you and probably never will. You broke my spirit, broke my body, and froze out almost everything I had left in my heart when you left me in Siberia. You also, though unintentionally, brought together the tightest-knit family I have ever had the privilege of being a part of. Had you not left me there to die, I wouldn’t know Frost & Oliver. I wouldn’t have seen the changes that needed to be made and wouldn’t have everything I do now. In short, had you not destroyed my life, I wouldn’t be nearly as successful as I am now. 

-Tony 

~

Steve stared at the paper blankly, beginning to see why his letter hadn’t cut it as an apology. He folded it up and made his way to the kitchen to grab some lunch. 

“Steve,” Bucky’s voice said. 

“Hey Bucky, what’s up?” he asked. “I see Stark’s update your arm?” 

“Yeah, he’s making the plating a bit stronger,” Bucky said. The new arm was definitely an improvement compared to the one that Hydra had designed. It was less of a weapon and more of an appendage. “That’s not why I’m here though, have you seen the news?” the other soldier inquired carefully.

“No, what’s happening?” Steve asked. Bucky looked nervous and shifted slightly on his feet. 

“The government's found, Sharon. They’ve taken her into custody, and it doesn’t look good.” Steve gaped at him. With everything that had been going on, he had completely forgotten about Sharon. He hasn't received any calls from her, so h had figured she was fine. But where was his phone?” 

“Oh my God,” he whispered. “Bucky, do you know where my burn home is? The one that I used to contact Sharon?” Bucky looked even uncomfortable. “Bucky…” Steve began. 

“Wanda knows,” Bucky said shortly. “Wanda knows where the phone is.” With that, the other soldier turned on his heel and walked quickly out of the room. 

“FRIDAY, where’s Wanda?” Steve asked. 

“Ms. Maximoff is currently in her room with Frost & Oliver and Spider-man,” FRIDAY responded. Emotionlessly. Even though Steve already knew Peter’s identity, everyone still referred to him as Spiderman in the super soldier's presence. 

“Thank you FRIDAY,” he responded. He didn’t expect a response and didn't receive any. FRIDAY had taken to acting more like a robot than an AI when he talked to her ever since his return. He wasn’t sure if it was under Tony’s orders or if it was her own decision, but he doubted that it could be changing any time soon. 

Steve made his way upstairs to Wanda’s room and could hear the sound of voices from where he stood in the hall. It sounded like it was Peter talking. 

~

“So then Wanda and I hid in the vents and when Kamala came in we covered her in silly string!” he was saying. 

“You seem to have quite an affinity for the laughable rope-” Frost began.

“Silly string,” Wanda corrected, much to the winter spirits annoyance. 

“Yes, have you ever pulled a trick with anything else?”

“Uhh…” Peter responded, trying to think of a time when he had used anything else. 

“Steve,” Wanda said. They all turned to see Steve standing in the doorway. Peter reached over and pulled his mask on and Frost’ eyes narrowed. 

“Wanda, can we talk?” Steve asked. 

“Yes, of course, come in,” she said. Peter didn’t seem all to pleased about the decision, but he didn’t say anything. Steve , acutely aware of Peter and Frost’s eyes on him, slowly took a seat by Wanda. 

“Did you hear about Sharon?” he asked. Wanda nodded stiffly. 

“I did. I was wondering when they’d finally catch her,” Steve opened his mouth to defend Sharon but thought better of it. 

“I had completely forgotten about her with everything gonna down. I was wondering how I could do that when I realized I haven't seen the phone that I used to contact her with since Wakanda. Bucky said that you might know where it is,” he said. Wanda tensed but maintained eye contact. 

“I do,’ she said. Steve waited for a moment until it became clear that she had no plans to say more. 

“Well where is it?” he prompted. 

“It’s a pile of ash in Wakanda,” came the blunt reply. 

“Oh damn,” Peter whispered. “Shit just got real.” Steve stared in shock at Wanda, who stared straight back. 

“Why- did you do that?” he asked. 

“Yes,” she replied icily. “If you got to destroy my phone, then it's only fair that I destroyed yours as well.” Steve thought back to the argument he had with Wanda over her phone, and vaguely remembered her coming back from the direction of his room. At the time he’d thought nothing of it, but looking back he realized that he probably should have. 

“You destroyed the phone. Sharon- oh God, she was probably calling me- oh God,” Steve said, running his hands through his hair. “Wanda, how could you?” 

“The same way you could break mine,” she snapped back. “Please leave now,” she said. Steve felt anger swell in him at the dismissal but knew that starting a fight would only result in more trouble for him. 

He headed back downstairs to find Natasha, Carol, and Sam on the couch watching the news where a picture of Sharon Carter in handcuffs was behind a news anchor. 

 

~  
“Ex-CIA agent Sharon Carter was arrested today in England while trying to board a boat to America. When questioned by authorities, she said that she was trying to reach Steve Rogers. The Avengers Initiative has yet to release a statement about the arrest.”

~  
“Steve, you okay?” Natasha asked when she noticed him in the doorway. Steve just stared wordlessly at the screen. Sharon had been coming to find him. It was his fault that she had been caught. 

“Mr. Rogers, would you like to release a statement?” Carol asked, standing from where she sat on the couch. Steve shook his head mutely. Not yet. Carol nodded and her face softened slightly. “I’ll let you know if they contact us, the council's being kept completely informed as it is technically an Avengers-related incident.” Steve nodded his thanks, and both Sam and Natasha made room for him on the couch. Apparently, they had caught Sharon because she’d told one of her friends at the CIA that she was going to go try and make contact with Steve. The agent had felt uncomfortable about her being back on US soil and had turned in her location to her boss. 

“It’ll be fine, Steve,” Sam said. Natasha shook her head though. 

“No, she’s going to be locked up for life. They can nail her with espionage charges, and any judge will find her guilty.” Steve turned sharply to look at Natasha whose eyes didn’t leave the TV in front of her. “It was her decision, Steve. She could have come back after we did, but she didn’t want to. It was her choice to betray her government for you, and her choice to try and return to America. This isn’t your fault,” she said. 

“Yes, it is,” Steve said quietly. “All of this… it’s my fault.” 

 

Those words stuck with Steve for the rest of his life, and when he was eventually offered a team leadership, he turned it down in favor of letting Sam lead. Tony watched him carefully the whole time with Dr. Strange on one side, and Rhodey on the other. 

He tried many times to see Sharon before the trial, but he was not permitted to. She pleaded guilty to all charges of espionage and was sentenced to life in prison without parole. When he finally was permitted to go and visit her, she wouldn’t see him. 

Wanda seemed sorry for destroying the phone, but Steve had a feeling that it was only for her lack of control and less for the effect it had on Steve. Now that she had more formal training, she hated looking back on how reckless she had been with her powers. If there was one good thing that had come out of all of this, Steve mused, it was Wanda. 

After their initial mistrust, the Junior Avengers had accepted her into their ranks under more than just the title. It seemed to Steve that she’d found a place at the Sanctum with Clea and Strange. The kind that Tony had seemed to find with the New Avengers, and Delta Initiatives. The kind that Steve had never been able to offer. 

Once the Delta Initiative was fully approved, Tony would be leading a team consisting of Dr. Strange, Frost & Oliver, Natasha, and Peter and Harley once they were full Avengers. Carol would be leading a second team, and Rhodey a third with Sam in charge of what would have been Steve’s had he accepted it. He nodded his head as he thought. This was alright.


	17. Resurrection: The Stones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki finds out about the infinity stones on Earth, Wanda's magic can do more than just break a mind, and the Avengers prepare for the Infinity War. FINAL CHAPTER!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I know that the last chapter seemed like the finale, but it was only second to last. I was still trying to process my Endgame feels at that point, so it came off a lot more sentimental then I intended. Anyway, I'm going to do a mini follow up to this that will work as a fix-it to Endgame (see Rewrite Space and Time: Preview) so keep your eyes out for that! Hope you all enjoy, and thankyou fir stinking around for this whole thing!

It was Loki who figured it out. Ever since his return to Earth with Thor and Bruce, he had begun to slowly but surely earn a tentative trust from some of the Avengers. Wanda was by far the closest thing he had to a friend. It had been her who had seen the true extent of the damage that Thanos had done to his mind, and so she was willing to look past New York completely. It was through Wanda that Loki met Vision. The android, thinking more in logic than emotions, had been willing to speak with Loki as well. The two ended up having many conversations 

“I must ask,” Loki said during one of these meetings, “What is the stone in your head? It is very powerful and has an interesting energy signature that I just can’t place,” he said. 

“This? I really can’t say,” Vision said. “I have been told by Thor that it is an ‘infinity stone’, though none of us are really sure what the means for me. Wanda tried to find information in the library at the sanctum, but there was nothing. Are you alright?” Vision asked, noticing that Loki was staring straight ahead, his face pale and his hands trembling. 

“The mind stone,” he whispered. “It's here. He wants it- he'll be coming for it here,” he whispered. Vision laid a gentle hand on his shoulder, but the trickster flinched violently backward. Tears were streaming down his face and his eyes were wild. 

“He’s coming here- I have to leave- the stone- the stone-” 

“Wanda,” Vision called. “I need you to come in here,” he said as calmly as he could. The young sorceress came in quickly and gasped when she saw the state Loki was in. 

“What happened!” she asked in horror. 

“I don’t know! He asked about my stone and so I told him what it was. Suddenly he was talking about someone coming for it, and this happened,” Vision said. Wanda slowly kneeled down in front of Loki and raised her hand in front of his face. 

“Loki, can you hear me?” she asked. She had never been much of a healer, but she remembered helping her brother through similar breakdowns when they were still with Hydra, and tried to bring a long-dead empathy back from deep inside her. 

“Wanda,” he managed to force out. “I don’t- he’d coming back, he’ll find me again-” Loki said. 

“Loki, I’m going to try and calm you, okay? Is that okay with you?” she asked. Stephen had told her that perhaps her ability to manipulate the mind could be trained to help people rather than hurt them. Loki stared at her hand, which was glowing a faint red before nodded once. “Just breath,” she instructed before allowing a light red strand of energy curl around the terrified trickster's mind. She could see the damage as though it were a puzzle made up of pieces that didn’t quite fit together. A puzzle that painted a picture that Wanda wished she didn’t have to see. 

Years of torment flashed before her eyes. Of Thanos and his children ripping Loki apart and piecing him back together only to do it again. Time passed differently wherever he was, and so the few years that he was in their clutches turned into centuries. Wanda soothed each image as she saw them, and tried to fill in the cracks as best she could. She saw Thanos’ plan for the stones and watched as he took hold of Loki’s mind, sending him with a staff and army to New York. the trickster struggled to break free- to make hs brother realize that something was wrong. That the blue tinge in his dark eyes meant something as wrong- but it was useless. When the Hulk beat him into the ground he got the knock he needed to finally take back control only to wake up in a world that thought him a monster. 

Wanda gasped as she came back to the real world. Loki was still a shaking mess, but his breathing was more even now and his eyes were clear. 

“Loki? Are you alright?” Wanda asked carefully. She had not used her powers over a mind since manipulating the other Avenger’ fears when working with Ultron. SHe had n way of knowing if she’d succeeded. Loki nodded slowly. 

“Thank you, Wanda,” he said shakily. “Can you please get my brother?” he said. Wanda looked up at Vision imploringly and he nodded once before phasing through the wall to find Thor. When the android returned, it was with a worried god of thunder in tow. 

“Loki!” Thor exclaimed, he rushed over, and Wanda got out of the way o that he could check on his brother. 

“This came about because of the stone?” Thor asked. Vision nodded in confirmation and Thor looked thoughtful. “Loki never talks much about what happened after he fell into that abyss, but I knew it wasn’t good. I’m guessing that this ‘Thanos’ being had something to do with it.

“He did,” Wanda confirmed. “Loki let me calm him with my magic, and I saw some… memories from his time there. Thanos wants the stones. It’s why he sent Loki to get the Tesseract, and it’s why the mind stone scared him so much. He’s right to be afraid; if Thanos is still out there then he'll probably be coming for the stone eventually.” A heavy silence settled over the group, the only disruptions being occasionally shocked off sob from Loki. 

“We have to alert the UN,” Vision said finally. They will need to know about the threat. Not to mention the fact that Dr. Strange carries another stone. Thanos will be going after him as well.” 

“I’ll alert Strange, you call the others,” Wanda agreed. 

 

~

“And his name is Thanos?” Tony asked. They were all sitting in the conference room; Avenger, Junior Avengers, Defenders, and representatives from both the Avengers Initiative and the Council. 

“Yes. From what I’ve seen, he wants these stones more than anything,” Wanda said. Stephen was nodding along, brow furrowed and hand placed protectively over the time stone. 

 

“This is it,” Tony muttered quietly. “It’s finally coming.”

“Hang on, we don’t know that for sure,” Sam said. I mean, we know that he will be coming eventually, but it doesn’t mean that he’s gonna arrive tomorrow. Our scanners would have picked that up by now. We might actually have a chance to make a plan of attack here,” he pointed out. 

“Falcon’s right,” Carol said in agreement. “We actually have time to prepare. Make a game plan. We’re gonna need as much information about this Thanos guy as possible.” 

“I’ll see if Thor can get Loki to talk,” Wanda said. Both gods were currently missing from the meeting, Loki sleeping off his stress, and Thor making sure that he got through the night without any more panic attacks. 

“That is a good start, but may I make a suggestion?” Frost & Oliver said. They seemed to be sharing the conscious as their voice sounded like a mix of both. 

“Sure, what is it?” Rhodey asked. 

“I believe that it would be beneficial to continue with the Delta Initiative for this particular problem. If this Thanos is anything like the other beings of power that I’ve faced, which I expect he is given his lust for these stones, he will be attacking us on multiple fronts. I also believe that it would be a good idea t try and get in contact with some heroes from other worlds who may be willing to help us. I’m sure that Captain Marvel has heard of some people that might be willing to aid us against Thanos?” Frost & Oliver asked, turning towards Carol. 

“I may be able to get the Skrull to help, but they are still in the middle of rebuilding their lives. Telos owes me big though, so I’m sure he’d be willing to help,” she offered. “I’ll ask if he knows anyone else as well.” Tony nodded his approval. 

“Alright, and I’ll get in contact with our Avengers bases around the world, see if they have any good ideas. They’re just getting started up, but I think that they’ll be able to help out,” he said.

“Good. I want everyone we have on this. Get the remainder of S.H.I.E.L.D back and running, and send a message to Fury and Maria. See if they’re willing to re-join the world of the living to deal with this,” Rhodey added. 

“Someone alert T’Challa. We should see if he’d be willing to base some people in Wakanda,” Bruce suggested. 

 

“I’m all over it,” Natasha replied, pulling out her phone. The others pondered what this could all mean until Thor came crashing in. 

“I have news,” he said. “Loki has awoken and was willing to reveal some of what he learned during his time with Thanos. The Mad Titan seeks to use the stones to wipe out half of all life in this universe to bring balance,” the god explained. He has a gauntlet. A golden gauntlet that will let him harness the power of the stone. It’s how he can use them without being killed instantly.” 

“Shit,” Tony cursed. “How long do we have?” he asked, dreading the answer. 

“Not long, I’m afraid,” Carol said, staring at some sort of galactic piece of tech. “I just received word back from Telos; Thanos just decimated Zandar and stole the space stone. He’s preparing to come here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big shout out to all my lovely readers. Thank you, and goodnight!


	18. NOT A CHAPTER, JUST A NOTE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ONESHOTS!

Hey guys! As you probably know I have finished the latest installment of this series, like, three minutes ago. In knowing full well that I will be leaving for camp in two weeks and will have barely any time to write anything, I am going to do it anyway and begin a mini work within this series because I cannot make good decisions for the life of me! I'm thinking it will be a bunch one-shots revolving around Wanda's development as a character throughout her training with Stephen, Wong, and Clea, some fluffy Ironfamily scenes, some New Avengers kicking Roger' ass scenes, and some emotional heart-to-hearts. 

When I was writing this story there were a lot of things that I wanted to do but either didn't have time to write or forgot about. There were also a lot of things that other people wanted, but I was unable to go back and do because of my schedule, and where I was in the story. So, if anyone has anything that they'd like to see, (Heart-to-hearts, character bonding, Steve-bashing, etc...) just let me know in the comments or hit me up on Tumblr at ambivalence-forevermore.tumblr.com with a prompt/idea. These fics will take place all over the timeline and will not necessarily be in chronological order. I will try to state where a story is taking place so that it's less confusing though. Hope you enjoy! 

-Ambivalence

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed, comments and kudos are appreciated!


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